The Swans by the pond
by miraline
Summary: A disturbing discovery in a dumpster behind the local high school turns the whole town upside down. Lives are changed forever. How could someone do such a terrible thing and not have a better explanation for it? or any explanation for it? It seems unthinkable. It is, for a long, long time. It isn't until years later that the carefully constructed web of lies begins to unravel. AH
1. Chapter 1

_**AN: Here it is, the first chapter of my new story. It has a little more teen angst than what I usually write. If this is not your cup of tea, then please move on.**_

 _ **Caution! This story will contain controversial subjects that may be offensive to some. It's M-rated for more than just language and sexual content. If reading this story makes you uncomfortable or upset in any way simply stop reading it. Nothing is more important than your wellbeing. Nothing!**_

 _ **Trigger warning for this first chapter: it contains brief descriptions of what could be a case of violence, neglect and abuse directed at a small child.**_

...

 **-=[ The past - and so it begins... ]=-**

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Charlie's POV

1.

.

The phone call to Charlie Swan, the Chief of Police in Forks Wa, came at five thirty five in the morning.

The way the ringtone kept repeating itself over and over again he got the impression from the very beginning that it was an important call.

Charlie staggered out of bed and stumbled down the stairs, trying to remember where he'd last seen his phone.

Following the sound of the ringtone, he continued through the living room and into the kitchen, where he damn near knocked himself out, tripping over a pile of empty beer cans.

What where they even doing on the floor? And why do these kinds of calls always come in the middle of the night? Honestly, no one is at their best at such an ungodlyhour.

Eventually, Charlie located the source of his headache on the 'landing strip table' next to the front door. It was so far away from his bedroom that it was nothing short of a miracle that the call had woken him in the first place.

He still felt a bit groggy as he fumbled with the phone, like he was sleepwalking, or stuck in a bad dream… but nope, he was awake and awake he would stay...

"Chief Swan," he grunted as he finally managed figure out how to go about accepting the incoming call.

As he'd suspected, the person on the other end was none other than his Deputy, Waylon Forge.

"It's five thirty in the morning! I hope, for your sake, you have a damn good reason for waking me at this hour, Forge," he barked out, rubbing his face, trying to clear his head.

"I believe I do, Chief. I've been trying to reach you for the last fifteen minutes. It's an urgent matter! One of our local residents has made a rather disturbing discovery."

"What kind of discovery?" Chief Swan sighed.

"A newborn baby, Chief. Alive, but found abandoned in a dumpster behind the auditorium of Forks High."

"A WHAT?! Are you talking about a human baby?"

Charlie brought the phone with him as he hurried up the stairs to his bedroom, where he dug his uniform out of the hamper.

"Yes, a human baby, Chief. It's a baby girl, a very small one… I would say born prematurely, but I'm no expert-…."

"Hold up! What do the actual experts have to say then? Is there an ambulance on site… paramedics? Someone DID call an ambulance, right?"

"Yes, a medical team arrived at the same time I did. They've just packed up and left for the hospital. They said something about severe respiratory failure. I think that means the baby might not make it, but I'm no exp-…"

"Have you secured the area?" Charlie interrupted, as he started working on getting dressed, while trying not drop the phone. "If the baby was deliberately and knowingly abandoned, then it's a crime and I don't want any civilians dirtying up my crime scene."

"It's still early. No civilians around yet."

"Who found the baby then, an alien?"

"Old Mrs. Newton heard something when she was out walking her dog. She thought it was stray kittens, or perhaps puppies. She's a bit senile, but apparently a BIG Animal Rights advocate, so the old lady, bless her heart, went and dragged her grandson out of bed. The grandson is the one calling us, after he'd climbed into the dumpster to have a look."

"The Newtons?" Charlie cursed loudly, knowing exactly what this meant. "Great! We have another half an hour, tops, before the whole town knows. I'm hanging up now-…"

"Wait, there's one more thing you should know, Chief," deputy Forge rushed out quickly. "The baby… it was found wrapped in a plastic bag, partially sealed off with duct tape. The lips were…or actually, the whole baby was blue… according to the paramedics."

Charlie Swan let out a surprised and outraged "Jesus!" Then, he followed up with an irate "Why didn't you tell me that from the start!"

He'd been a cop for over 15 years and few things shocked him these days. This piece of information, about the plastic bag, however, was shock-worthy in his opinion.

"This can't get out. Don't talk to anyone, do you hear me! Not a word," he instructed, fixing his gun holster to his waist. "Get started on securing the area. I'm on my way. I'll be with you in ten minutes."

.

…

.

After ending the call, Chief Swan went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed that he looked about as tired as he felt. He didn't quite recognize the person staring back at him. Really, where had the years gone? He used to be fit and handsome, didn't he? Now he was a middle-aged man with a pot belly and bushy mustache…

Come on, no one looked their best hung-over, he told himself as he ran a hand through his hair. If he looked tired it was simply a case of staying up too late and drinking too much beer. It could happen to anyone…

Sure, being the chief meant he was more or less always on call, but honestly, it had been a long time since he'd last been woken by an emergency at five thirty on a Sunday morning. This was why he had a deputy, damn it!

He grabbed his toothbrush and headed into his bedroom again, where he stuffed an extra change of clothes into a backpack. He had a feeling it would be a while before he would see his home again. A delicate and complex case like this one, could very well end up getting national coverage. And if that happened, it would be a circus unlike anything seen in this town before.

He knew he'd better hurry up. In fact he should be in his car already, but on his way out, he suddenly remembered he had other responsibilities besides work - Isabella, his seventeen-year-old daughter, was fast asleep in her bedroom.

As he turned around and went inside the house again, he deliberated whether he should wake her, or just leave her a note.

After a brief moment of hesitation, he approached her door and gave it a quick rap. When he got no response, he pressed the handle and pushed. The door eased open.

To his surprise the bed was empty.

His mind reeled for a moment, before he remembered where she was - the Cullens. He had given her permission to spend the night at her friend Alice's place.

.

….

.

Isabella, or Bella as she preferred to call herself, had gone through a rough year following her mother (his ex-wife) Renee's unexpected and tragic passing.

The move up north-from the bustling city of Phoenix Arizona to the sleepy small town of Forks (population of 3,545) had undoubtedly been a big adjustment for the teenager to make.

To be honest, it had been a long and challenging year for Charlie as well. One minute your life is completely yours to control, the next you find yourself the sole legal parent and caretaker of a teenage girl, and a traumatized one at that. That was just life for you, wasn't it? There's ALWAYS a curveball thrown when you least expect it

Charlie had always found teenagers in general to be rather high maintenance, lazy and sometimes downright reckless with their lives. Truthfully, having one living with him now had not done much to change this long-held opinion.

The thing was, Charlie Swan never fought for his parental rights after his first (and only marriage) had gone down the drain. He just never saw the point in complicating things further. It wasn't that he didn't love his daughter, but the idea of handing a child back and forth, like a parcel just didn't seem right to him.

Logically, he saw the flaws in his own reasoning, but it wasn't until tragedy hit, leaving the girl without a home that he'd realized just how big of a mistake he had made. He'd met up with his daughter maybe a handful of times over the last ten years and because of this, they were, in essence, virtual strangers to one another.

The girl had, of course, been absolutely miserable for the first few months living under his roof, having not only lost her mother, but also gotten her whole existence turned upside down... Every familiar part of her life had been swept away… all in one go…

No point in trying to sugarcoat the situation. It had been a turbulent year for them both. Bella herself had made it perfectly clear (on multiple occasions) that she was not in Forks by her own free will and that she could not wait for high school to be done and over with so that she could move onto bigger, greater things.

As long as those bigger greater things meant college, Charlie had no objections.

His daughter was a senior now and would turn eighteen soon. She had always been a bright kid and thankfully, her grades didn't seem to have suffered too much from this whole ordeal …well, with the exception of Phys. Ed. perhaps, but he didn't blame her for not putting in much of an effort in that particular class, given the circumstances.

Secretly, he too was counting the days until things would calm down around the house again and he could get something resembling his old life back. They just had to hold it together a little while longer and they would both come out of this alright.

Speaking of time…Glancing at his wrist watch, Charlie realized he'd wasted valuable minutes. As he locked the front door, he retrieved his phone from his pocket. Bella didn't answer as he dialed her number, but he hadn't expected her to. He knew most teenagers slept like rocks for twelve, or fifteen hours at a time.

He left her a brief message, asking her to check in with him once she was awake.

Not for the first time, he patted himself on the back for his foresight to bring his daughter to see Dr. Esme Cullen, the town shrink. Not only had their sessions, while they lasted, resulted in several noticeable and positive changes, but also, Bella couldn't have picked a more suitable classmate to befriend, than Alice Cullen, who just so happened to be one of the three children in the Cullen household. As a result, Charlie never had to worry about where his daughter was going or what she was doing, when he let her out on her own.

As Charlie got into the driver's seat of his police cruiser, he scrolled through his contact list for Dr. Cullen –Carlisle, not Esme, as he knew the shrink was on a sick leave at the moment.

Not that it mattered much; Carlisle would have been his first pick anyway. Funny, how when given a choice between which Cullen to contact, he was more comfortable speaking with the head surgeon than the physiatrist … He suspected it was simply because the former was male, drank beer and watched football…

As he waited for the call to connect, he fumbled with getting the key in the ignition. Just like his first call, this one too, went straight to voice mail.

Guess the doc had a night off for once. Good for him… Charlie dropped his phone into the passenger seat, without leaving a message. He'd try reaching the Cullen's again in an hour or two… unless, of course, they contacted him first... News travelled fast in this neck of the woods, after all.

With a resigned sigh, police Chief Charlie Swan began to reverse his car out of the drive way. He already had a feeling this was going to go down in history as his most difficult case ever.

Little did he know it was going to be far worse than that... Difficult didn't even begin to cover it.

.

….

 ** _AN: Are you intrigued yet? We'll hear from Carlisle and Esme next…_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN: Wow, you guys just blew up my inbox. Keep it up, I love hearing your thoughts even if it's just a few words. I think I have responded to everyone. You guys already have some interesting thoughts/theories etc and loads of questions, of course. I'll probably do an Q &A a bit later on and answer/comment on some of them.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **I'll be posting 2 chapters a week for a bit as I know you'll be eager to get to the point in the story where Bella and Edward are both present and interacting. Once I'm out of prewritten chapters, updates will come slower and my focus will be on getting more written and ready to be posted (rather than answering reviews, though I'll try to do both). I always read every single review I get and appreciate them immensely!**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **Onto the story…. Here comes Carlisle (and a bit Esme POV)**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **This one is super short. But there is something hinted at, a nugget of information, that will become important further on.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **Trigger warning: same as previous chapter**_

.

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 **-=[ The past -Isabella Swan, 17 y.o ]=-**

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Carlisle POV

2.

.

Carlisle Cullen was a broad-shouldered man; tall, with blonde, swept-back hair, and sparkling blue eyes.

He looked good for a man approaching fifty, he even still had his washboard stomach intact, from years of exercising his abs, doing sit ups hanging over the edge of his bed. Not that Carlisle was vain or anything, but staying in shape had never hurt anyone. Especially, when having a profession where you were expected to pull off twelve hours shifts, three times a week.

If you asked his wife, Esme, though, she would tell you that his best feature was his fetching, charming smile. She often said she thought he had one of those all-encompassing smiles, that seemed to reach out and wrap a person up in its warmth. Not bad characteristics for a doctor, or a husband, to have, she said.

Right this very moment his smile and attention was directed completely at his wife. "I'm gonna get me another egg. You want anything, darling?"

Esme looked up at him, a bit face pale, but carefully composed, "I'm fine, dear. I still have my muffin and I think I'll steal some sips of your coffee, while you're away."

Carlisle shook his head at his wife, muttering, "'Course you will."

She had barely touched her breakfast, but he knew better than to pester her about it. After months of not eating properly, she was slowly getting her appetite back and he had vowed to himself to be there for her as her husband, not her doctor.

Just then, his cell phone went off. He groaned, scrambling to get it out of his pocket at the cost of losing half his sandwich, which fell to the floor. He had no choice but to take the call, knowing was most likely work related, or possibly the kids calling… though, it was a bit early in the morning for them to be up.

It was work, or more exactly it was Dr. Gerandy, the chief of staff at Forks General calling.

"Two minutes, Gerandy. You've got two minutes," Carlisle grumbled, as he tried to pick his sandwich off the floor without making an even bigger mess. "I'm in the middle of breakfast here."

He gave his wife a quick, reassuring smile. He could tell by the crease between her brows that she didn't much appreciate having their quiet morning interrupted by some sort of medical emergency.

'I'll keep it short, I promise,' he mouthed to her, reaching out to place his hand on top of hers, rubbing it soothingly.

.

…

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 _ **Esme POV**_

.

Esme tilted her head to the side as she listened to her husband's side of the phone conversation.

"….."

"No, why?"

"….."

"We won't be checking out of here for another… "Carlisle flipped his wrist over to check the time on his watch. "…two hours."

"….. …. ….. …."

"They found what?"

"….."

"Still alive?"

"….."

"Who is the attending-…"

"….."

"Alright."

At this point, Esme tugged at her husband's hand to get his attention.

His voice sounded odd and she could tell something was wrong… really wrong. And now she worried something had happened to one of their children.

Carlisle looked startled by her touch, like he'd forgotten she was there.

"Hold on, darling. I'll explain in a minute."

"Wait, what was that? Say that again," he told Dr. Gerandy, while holding his hand up to indicate that he needed his wife to stay quiet, for a little while longer.

"….."

"Yes, she's right here."

"….."

"No, that's fine. I'll let her know what's going on and pass on your apology. If we get in the car straight away, we can be home in about three and a half hours."

.

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 _ **AN:/ I know, it was super short. Next one will be posted this weekend**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**AN: Here's the next chapter. It will give you an idea what Esme's been dealing with, but the rest, I'm afraid, will remain a mystery for a little while longer….**_

 _ **After this we'll hear from Alice and Jasper, then Emmett and Rosalie, before we finally meet Edward and of course Bella.**_

 _ **It is an E &B story and it will have a HEA-ending, but there will be obstacles to overcome first. Also, there will be some flawed characters, that have some maturing and growing up to do, before an HEA is possible. Just throwing this in here so that you know what you're in for…**_

 _ **A new trigger warning for this chapter: mention of character death (sort of)- not major.**_

.

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 **-=[ The past -Isabella Swan, 17 y.o ]=-**

.

Esme POV

.

3.

.

"Traffic should breeze at this hour, so the drive home will be quick."

"You're scaring me. Why won't you just tell me what's wrong?" Esme asked her husband, as she fastened her seatbelt.

They were in Carlisle's black Mercedez-Benz S55, getting ready to leave the underground garage of the hotel they'd been staying at. She'd never seen her husband pack his suitcase with such a speed before. Something was up. And it wasn't good.

"Is it one of the kids? Did someone get hurt?"

"I'm sure the kids are fine," he answered calmly, turning the key in the ignition. "Just let us get a couple of miles in first and then you can call and check for yourself."

"Alright," she agreed, with a sigh. "I'm sure they'll appreciate a bit of heads up that we'll be home early."

"If last time is anything to go by, then yes," Carlisle snorted. "They probably have some cleaning up to do, right about now."

It wasn't the first time they had left their three teenagers home alone over a weekend and it wouldn't be the last. Esme prided herself to have an open and honest dialog with them. It was no secret that they sometimes threw parties when they had the house to themselves. She trusted them to be smart about it. After all, they were almost adults now, all three of them.

She did, however, find it a bit suspicious that the oldest one, the college freshman, had offered, voluntarily, to come spend time with the two younger ones. She suspected her husband must have bribed him with gas money or something. She did not like such an arrangement- money should be earned not used as a bargain chip- but she went along with it anyway. She just hoped Carlisle had made sure the money went towards gas and gas only.

To be honest, this wasn't so much about trust as it was about not feeling up for it. Esme had been feeling ambivalent about it ever since her husband had first told her about the hotel reservation he'd made. It was his surprise for her on their 21-year wedding anniversary- a lovely, thoughtful surprise. Yet, there was something she couldn't quite put her finger on that made her feel anxious about the whole thing.

Carlisle said it was a natural part of the healing process she was going through, and she knew he was right. That didn't make it any easier though. She'd lost something very dear to her and the grief that followed didn't come with a road map… It had changed her. She felt differently about many so things, including leaving her children on their own… She suddenly felt fiercely protective of them, more so than she had ever done in the past. And the feeling seemingly came out of nowhere. She wanted to wrap them in bubble wrap from head to toe and make them wear helmets and keep them under a close watch at all times... she hadn't felt like that since they were toddlers…

'The kids are alright, everything will be alright… time heals even the deepest of wounds though,' she told herself, turning her focus back to the conversation at hand.

"So, if it's not the kids, what is it then?" she asked, as the car pulled out of the hotel garage.

"I'll tell you once we're out on the interstate," Carlisle suggested, glancing in his right side view mirror, before quickly shifting lanes. "It's… it's pretty bad, so prepare yourself."

"Oh… okay." Out of habit, she reached for the car radio, to see if it was turned on. It wasn't. However, as she moved to flick the switch from CD to radio, Carlisle stopped her by grasping her hand in his.

"Please don't," he told her, with a shake of his head. "The local stations are probably all over this thing and I want you to hear it from me first."

"Oh, Carlisle… What's going on? Is it-…Are you the one in trouble? Have you done something you shouldn't? Is it a malpractice thing?" she guessed, remembering how they'd been through something like that once before in the past. It had turned out alright that time, but it could have just as easily turned out very badly for the entire surgical department.

"No, honey. I've been good. And if anyone tells you differently, they are lying." He couldn't resist giving her a small smile, before turning serious again. "We've had a pretty nice weekend, right?"

"Very nice," she agreed.

They had wined and dined and spent hours talking and laughing together. It had been a long time since she had felt this alive... too long.

As if he could read her mind, he flicked a worried glance at her. "Don't let what I'm about to tell you put a damper on what's been a phenomenal weekend, alright? We can still -..."

"Just tell me what it is, Carlisle," she sighed. He meant well, but his concerns for her well being could be a bit suffocating at times.

"Fine…" He drew a deep breath and started talking.

Esme listened in stunned and rapt silence as he told her about the phone call Chief Swan had received at five thirty that very morning and the discoveries that had been made since then.

Finally she couldn't keep silent any longer. "Alive?" she asked in a choked voice. "Someone put a living, breathing, newborn baby in a plastic bag and left it to die?"

"We don't know if the baby was making any sounds, or if showing any detectable signs of being alive when it was put in the bag, but yes the baby was-and still is—alive," he answered. "It's a little girl and she's very, very small. Premature they say… So small she's having trouble breathing on her own."

"Premature? How many weeks?"

"No one knows for sure-…"

"Tell me," she insisted.

"Born at 24-27 weeks they think."

Her heart plummeted, and she choked back a sob. Esme had lost her baby -no, THEIR baby, she corrected herself—they had lost their baby just two days shy of 20 weeks. Even now, more than three months later, the pain of the loss was still fresh on both their minds.

Suddenly, she understood his hesitation; it made sense why her husband had been so reluctant to tell her these news.

"Do you want me to pull over," he asked, worriedly.

"No… No, I'm fine," she insisted, her voice still a bit shaky. "Tell me everything. Don't hold back. I want to know everything." She placed her hand on his thigh and squeezed, as if it was he who needed the comfort the most.

"Alright…. The baby will be airlifted to Seattle Grace, as soon as her breathing stabilizes enough."

"Will she live?" she interrupted him.

"The odds are reportedly good, if the patient survives the first 24 hours. If the baby is a fighter, she might very well come out of this alright, but as you know we could be looking at weeks or even months of uncertainty."

"And the mother? Do they know anything?"

"There are no clues, I'm afraid. The police are out knocking doors and the hospital is checking up on all expectant mothers in the area."

Esme felt a chill go down her spine despite the warm air coming from the AC vents."She's a teenager…I can feel it… A scared, misguided young girl, with nowhere to turn. "

"Yeah, that's often the case when newborns are found like this. It can be quite a shocking sight, if you have never seen a baby that small before. It might have been an act of panic… The mother might have mistaken it for a stillbirth…And the father, if at all present, might not have been of much help … Teenage boys aren't known for their maturity and ability to make wise decisions."

"Carlisle, they need to find her, the mother. They need to find her A.S.A.P! If she gave birth unaided, she could be bleeding out. She could die from blood loss or septic shock…or-.."

"I know. That's why I need to get back to the hospital. We are on stand-by in case an emergency surgery is needed."

"Have they set up a crisis center, yet?" For the first time in over three months Esme felt herself slip into work mood. It was like slipping into an old, comfortable shoe, that still fit. "Someone might know something… There need to be a safe place open for anyone that wants to talk."

"I'm sure they are working on it," Carlisle assured her. "I know the hospital has started a blood drive to stock up on blood and that the police will be at the school first thing Monday morning."

"I should be there. The kids-…."

"Alice will probably need someone to talk to, yes."

"No, I meant at the school. I should be at the school with the police when they speak to the students. I'm the only psychiatrist in town with the right training and experience to handle something like this. I SHOULD be there. I should be the one talking to them."

"Are you sure?" he asked, sending yet another worried glance her way.

"Yes," she nodded. "I'm going back to work."

She said it with so much determination in her voice that her husband wouldn't dare questioning it.

.

 _ **AN: Does Esme**_ _ ** _have psychic abilities_? Is she**_ _**right to worry about her children? Did they throw a party with**_ _ ** _funds from their father_? We'll meet 'the kids' next...**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **Another chapter should be up in about three days time.** _


	4. Chapter 4

_**AN: Here we go, a short and relatively drama free update… but we get to meet Alice and Jasper.**_

.

-=[ The past -Isabella Swan, 17 y.o ]=-

Alice POV

4.

Alice Cullen woke to the unsettling sound of a phone ringing.

Her head hurt. She wished the god-awful noise would stop. After a few seconds it actually did stop. Alice turned over and went back to sleep.

However, a few minutes later her phone started ringing again. And this time, it was the ringtone that she'd chosen for Jasper, her boyfriend.

She moaned and blindly reached out to search for her cell phone, which she usually kept on her nightstand when she slept.

"You're dead to me," she croaked as she accepted the call, put it on speaker and then tossed the evil device on the bed beside her.

"What's the matter, Alice?" Jasper Whitlock shot back with a laugh. "You got a headache?"

"Why did you let me drink so much?" she groaned as she rolled over and buried her face in the pillows.

"I tried to get you to slow down, but there was no stopping you. Besides, the party was still in full swing when I left."

"You're a terrible boyfriend. It's your job to be here with aspirin and water."

He barked out another laugh, and then said, in a teasing manner, "I thought it was my job to bring you cupcakes with pink frosting."

"Ugh," Alice groaned. "NO baked goods today."

Jasper worked weekends at a local bakery, where his entire job consisted of cutting fruit and making fruit tarts. Well that, and working the register, assisting with customer's queries.

The hair net was a drag, of course, but all in all it was actually pretty awesome job. He worked with some fun characters and they always had a blast. Also, he'd gotten really good at handling knifes, scoring himself major cool points with his peers.

"You did tell me to call and wake you at nine sharp and it's past nine now. You still want me to come over after my shift ends, right?"

"You better. I'm counting on you. This house isn't going to clean itself."

"Okay, I might be a bit late though. I don't know how long it will take to get around all the roadblocks."

"What? Why are there roadblocks?"

"I'm not entirely sure. The police have closed off half the town it seems. I heard from the boss lady that they found something in the dumpster behind auditorium at school."

"What do you mean they found something?"

"Drowned kittens, or something… I don't know. Turn on the radio," he suggested. "I'm sure they'll be talking about it in the next news segment. Listen, I have to go, we've got customers."

"Love you. Talk to you later."

As Alice ended the call, she saw that she had several missed calls from her mom's cell phone. There was also a voice message from dad, telling her to expect them back home around lunch time.

"Fuck!" She shot out of bed, at a physically impossible speed, and began rummaging through her drawers in search for clothes. She grabbed underwear and a clean towel and headed straight for the bathroom, all the while muttering, "shit, shit, shit" under her breath.

.

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 _ **AN: You know how certain events in your life can be so intense or shocking that you will always remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when you first learned about them? These first chapters are like that, we'll meet the characters as they first learn about this 'scandal' that will shake the town to it's core. Of course, it's not a scandal yet, but it's certainly putting some air on embers that are not yet a fire.**_


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Here's the next one... I don't have much to say about this one. Brief mention of blood and sex and Emmett being and acting like a typical ninteen year old guy...

.

 **-=[ The past -Isabella Swan, 17 y.o ]=-**

 _ **Emmett POV**_

5.

Emmett Cullen woke to a banging noise, followed by the sound of his sister shouting out his name through the door to his bedroom. Groaning he opened his eyes and looked over at the clock on his bedside table.

09:17 it read.

"Bloody hell, Al! Are you trying to kill me," he shouted back, his voice sounding like the grinding of rocks.

9:17 meant that he had barely gotten four hours of sleep. It was way too early to deal with Alice. Way too early for any form of activity, apart from maybe rolling onto his back to receive morning head from his girlfriend Rosalie - one of the best ways to start a new day, in his humble opinion …

Alice banged on the door a few more times, but Emmett decided to ignore the raucous in favor of groping around the bed for his Rose.

After while, Alice was forced to accept defeat, but sadly, the same thing went for Emmett. The bed appeared to be empty.

Sitting up, he turned on the lights and rubbed his eyes, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. The door to the bathroom was ajar and through the crack he saw a pair of naked feet resting flat on the floor.

"Rosalie, did you fall asleep on the bathroom floor again?"

He removed the covers to get up, but halted when he noticed blood stains on the sheets on her side of the bed. "Shit! Ro? Babe, are you okay?"

He was on his feet and inside the bathroom in two seconds flat.

He shook her, gently at first, then more frantically when he got no response. She was snoring lightly, steadily, so at least he knew she was breathing.

With his heart pounding in his chest, he carefully lifted her head off the floor and pulled one of her eyelids up to check her pupils. That apparently did the trick. Rosalie jerked awake with a groan

"Go away," she muttered, swatting at his hand, curling herself into a ball.

"Are you okay, Rosalie?" he asked, pushing her hair out of her face to get a better look at her. She was pale with streaks of dried mascara on her cheeks. What worried him the most though was the blood smeared down her thighs.

"M'head hurts," she groaned, as she rolled onto her back.

"Just your head? Is that all that hurts, babe?" He helped her to sit up, letting her body rest against his chest. "You're bleeding. There was blood on the sheets and..."

"What? Blood?"

"Yes, on your legs, your thighs… in the bed and some on the floor."

He heard her gasp something, and then with a strangled sort of "ughh.." sound, she threw her hands over her face.

"What's wrong? You're scaring me."

"I'm fine," she muttered, dipping her chin and steadfastly refusing to look at him. "Guess I must have started my period," she finally admitted.

"Is that all? Here I thought you were dying at the very least."

"Yes, that's all…. God, this is embarrassing," she groaned. "I mean, it's a relief, don't get me wrong. I was a few days late and I thought…. you kno-.."

"You were LATE?!" Emmett exclaimed, a little louder than he had intended to. "Why is this the first I hear of it? And AGAIN? What the fuck, Ro. You're like late every other month."

"Am not," she slapped his arm. "That's a gross exaggeration. Ithas happened, like what? twice? in a little over six months. You could always start using condoms, if you're that worried."

"Maybe, I will," he said, but then after thinking it over he added, "I don't like condoms though. They're expensive and they feel slimy. "

"That's such a male thing to say!" She slapped him in the chest. "Help me up, I want a shower."

"You find them unnatural too. You've said so yourself." He offered her his hand and carefully pulled her off the floor. "You said skipping them brings us closer together," he pointed out, reminding her of some of the silly stuff she sometimes blurted when lost in the post-coital fog.

"Yeah, yeah," she waved him off —actually waved him off.

"And here I thought we were going to shower together," he pouted. "You know, save hot water. Do each other's backs. Get steamy."

She pretended to think about it for half a second. "Uhm, that would be a big fat NO!"

"Are you sure you'll be okay in here alone though?"

"I'm sure, now get lost." With that his darling girlfriend moved to hold the door open for him.

"Okay, I'll be outside… Holler if you need me."

Rosalie was about to respond, but as she opened her mouth, her face turned green and she took off running for the toilet.

A second or two later, the sound of retching was heard.

This was not the morning Emmett had envisioned for himself. But then again, what was the fun in getting everything you wanted out of life straight off the bat? He could wait for it.

Maybe he could sleep while he waited though? Or maybe not…

Poor Rosalie was still emptying the contents of her stomach, by the sound of things.

He heaved a sigh, but didn't hesitate to step back inside the bathroom again. "Need me to hold your hair for you?"

.

…

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	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** In this chapter we have Mike Newton and Chief Swan being interviewed for TV. This is perhaps not something that would warrant a live segment on the local news, on the verry same morning that it occurred, but brear with me... It was just useful way to drive the plot forward.

In the chapter after this we're going to meet Edward and that one will be a little bit longer, I promise! ** _  
_**

 **-=[ The past -Isabella Swan, 17 y.o ]=-**

Alice POV

6.

.

Alice was so engrossed in the newscast on the TV, that she didn't hear her brother stumble into the kitchen. In fact she didn't notice his presence until he threw an empty beer can into the sink next to her. The aluminum can hit the hard surface with a loud rattling sound. Alice jumped, startled at the noise.

"Cut it out, Em!" she said irritably, not taking her eyes from the screen of the wall-mounted kitchen TV.

"You know where the laundry detergent is, Al?"

"Shh," she shushed him with a gesture towards the screen, "I think you'll want to listen to this. Something's happened, something big…"

"Is that Newton?" Emmett asked with a chuckle. "When did they film this? Why did the film this? Why are the police pulling stuff out of the dumpster behind school? And why is Mike on TV? Did he accidentally kill someone with his body odor? Did he dump the body in the dumpster? And why does his hair look like someone erected a bird's nest in it?"

"Shh," she shushed him again. "Be quiet and listen. This is serious stuff. Look, there is Chief Swan."

Reaching for the remote she turned up the volume just as the police chief started answering questions.

' _-Yes, the baby was alive when the ambulance brought it to the hospital.'_

' _-No, the mother has not stepped forward yet.'_

' _-Time of birth was approximately sometime between two and four o'clock in the morning.'_

' _-No, no injuries, or birth defects can be confirmed at this point.'_

' _-Place of birth still remains unknown.'_

' _-Yes, there will most likely be a press conference later in the day."_

Emmett let out a low whistle of surprise. "A baby?! that's crazy! I'll never be able to smoke another cigarette behind that dumpster, or any dumpster, ever again."

"I know. Bella and I were there as late as Friday afternoon. It's freaky," Alice said, muting the TV when the broadcast cut to a summary of the latest national news.

"You think it's someone we know?" she asked after a few seconds of silence.

"Who? The baby mama?"

"Yeah. It could be someone from school," she nodded, and then stopped, like she just realized something. "I bet dad knows more. I bet this is why they had to come back early. Speaking of coming back early…We REALLY need to get this place cleaned up, or we'll be in so much trouble when they get here."

"I don't know Alice. This was your idea, your party," Emmett said, pretending to shrug nonchalantly. "Why don't you start with getting the trash out and I'll see about helping you later…. if I have the time. Maybe, if you ask nicely, you can get Eddie to help you."

"Both you and Edward will be pulling your weight, so help me God!" Alice crossed her arms over her chest. "You really think mom and dad won't know where that keg in the living room came from?

"Fine, I'll do the heavy lifting, but I won't be mopping no more vomit this morning. That one is all on you," he pointed at her and then brushed passed her to open the cabinet where their mother kept the cleaning supplies. "I really need to get started on the laundry first, though. If mom sees the blood, she'll freak."

"Blood? What did you do this time? Put your hand through another window?"

"None of your business and what says it was me? There were more people in here last night than in a packed football stadium on the first game of the season. Someone broke a chair and two vases… "

"Yeah, but those are your and Rosie's clothes you're holding there," she nodded towards the bundle of fabric his arms. "And that, right there, looks like bed sheets…"

"Fine, Ro got her monthly. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Fucking finally!"Alice snorted, but rolled her eyes at his reaction. "Don't look so scandalized. I told her not to worry and I was right wasn't I?!"

Alice felt a sudden shove to her shoulder that sent her down onto the nearest chair.

"You KNEW?" he huffed. "She told you, but not me!"

"Our periods used to be all synced up, before you guys left for college," she informed her brother, holding her hands up to ward him off. "I got mine four days ago, but hers was still a no show when you guys got here Friday afternoon… She was not in the best of moods, as I'm sure you remember and that's how I guessed what was wrong."

"Gross, Al! I didn't need to know that…."

"I'm not the gross one. If you did laundry a bit more often you'd know where mom keeps the good stuff. Look on the shelf to the left, next to the ironing board."

"Thanks," he muttered.

"Oh, and Em, you need to start wrappin it better! I'm too young to be an aunt," she called out after him as he got the laundry detergent and turned to leave.

He answered by raising a polite middle finger over his shoulder, all the while muttering something about how his fucking sister, fucking though she knew fucking everything.

.

.


	7. Chapter 7

_**AN: Here comes Edward. You'll be glad to know, this chapter is way longer. Edward is actually a bit of the quiet type, but there is plenty of inner monologue going on to make up for it.**_

 _ **Trigger warnings: there are a few new ones that apply to this chapter – mentions of drugs and drug use for starters. It's not something that's going to be a big part of this story. It will be mentioned in the next couple of chapters, but eventually most of the characters will clean up their acts. I don't want to spoil too much of the plot, but for most part, it's a matter of self-medicating, which brings me to the next warning; mentions of anxiety issues, phobias and OCD. I think that's all.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

.

 **-=[ The past -Isabella Swan, 17 y.o ]=-**

 **Edward POV**

 **7.**

Edward Cullen was woken by a slap to his face. Literally.

Something whacked him across his nose and cheek and he jolted awake, cursing under his breath. It took a few seconds to gauge his surroundings.

The hazy morning light that streamed through the blinds, hurt his eyes and made his head pound harder. His eyeballs felt gritty and his mouth tasted like sawdust. He did not remember drinking THAT much beer (or anything else), but then again, if he had been able to remember all the alcohol consumed, he probably wouldn't have much of a hangover to speak of.

He squinted against the light and as his eyes got accustomed, he realized he wasn't alone in his bed - a half naked Jessica Stanley was sprawled out on the mattress beside him. To make things worse she was possibly, no, make that definitely, drooling on his shoulder.

"What the fuck, Stanley!" he hissed, and shook her, but to no avail. The girl remained sound asleep.

Unable to stand another second of this crap, he shoved her off of him. Stanley made a few small, whining noises, but did not stir.

Edward felt his legs quiver, as he got out of bed and started scrambling for his clothes. Quiver? That was a new one. As he got his trousers on, he tried to remember if anything out of the ordinary had happened the previous night.

Was there a possibility that something stronger than alcohol and weed could have crossed his path? Maybe… possibly….He racked his brain, but came up blank… Actually, a big chunk of the night was missing from his memory. That right there was probably the answer he was looking for. Memory gaps were never a good thing.

This had his anxiety levels rising. He felt his skin begin to crawl with unease. Grabbing a few baby wipes from the pack on his nightstand (Yes, unscented baby wipes. Practical and not too damaging to the skin) he started scrubbing his hands vigorously. When he realized what he was doing, he squeezed his eyes shut and began counting silently to himself, first to ten, then twenty. By the time he reached eighty six, he decided enough was enough!

'Stop this', he told himself. 'Stop being so weak! Whatever happened last night, happened. Just deal with it.'

One thing was clear though - the skank had to go!

What was she even doing there in the first place?! It was a well-known fact that he never let anyone stay in his room, or sleep in his bed, or even stay longer than half an hour at a time… No one, except-… well, there had been one exception, one girl that he'd bent his rules for, but that was a closed chapter, history, water under the bridge…

He didn't even like bringing his friends up to his room. His room was his sanctuary, his escape from the rest of the world. Though, in all honesty, it wasn't anything special about the room in itself. While it was decent in size, it was still just four bare walls, a low, sloping ceiling and a couple of sliding glass doors, facing the garden. No other windows, no frills. He didn't have the luxury of having a kitchenette with a bar, or a lounge with a giant flat screen TV or a top-of-the-range sound system in his sleeping quarters, like his brother, Emmett did, or a giant bubble bath in his adjoining bathroom like the one his sister Alice had scored for herself. Edward was just glad he had a private bathroom that no one else - not even his mother, or even the maid- had access to. He valued that privacy immensely.

There was one thing that was seriously great about his room though; it wasn't attached to the rest of the house. He had his own entrance (every teenager's dream, right?) in the form of a narrow staircase on the outside of the garage, which lead up to a decked area, a balcony of sorts, framed by a wrought iron fence and two sliding doors. Fucking brilliant!

It wasn't soundproof by any means, but he didn't have to worry about keeping his music down. And his parents didn't have to know what hours OR what company he kept. Not that he entertained a lot of night guests. Only ahandful of people had ever been invited over his threshold – the last female in there had been.. well the 'exception-girl'.

Jessica, freaking, Stanley was most definitely not worthy of an invitation. He didn't want her in his bed —never had, never would. He couldn't imagine a scenario in which he would ever touch her willingly… No matter how eager she was to shed her clothes and jiggle her tits around, he would like to think he had better judgment than to stoop that low.

Damn! He was going to have to ask James what shit he'd brought to the party this time. Better not be crystal meth again… Christ, his father would have a cow, if he got wind of this! After the last time, which had been a fairly innocent incident (possession, not usage… and no police involved, mind you), Edward had sworn up and down, that he would never touch that stuff again. However, more importantly, he's promised both himself and his parents, that he would not expose his siblings to anything of the sorts… EVER…

James knew this… Edward had made sure his 'friend' (ie, a school acquaintance, that just so happen to be dealing) knew to stay away from Alice and by extension her circle of friends too. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to give him another reminder though. The timing was good, with his brother home for the weekend. Emmett in big brother mood was scary for sure. They could team up and have a little 'talk' with James Hunter. Good plan! That thought gave Edward the determination he needed to break his 'mental block' and get on with the task of finding the rest of his clothes.

His socks were half under the bed and his sweater was flung across a chair. Everything reeked of weed and beer and dead raccoon. Not too surprisingly, the guy staring back at him in the bathroom mirror looked like a seedy bum, with bloodshot eyes and hair thatwas flat on one side and messy on the other. He needed a shower so bad…And a shave wouldn't go astray, he thought, noting the dark stubble on his jaw. But first he had a skank to evict!

Once he was fully dressed, he woke Stanley by pouring a glass of water over her face. He followed up by telling her politely to get her lazy bum out of his bed.

It didn't work… He hadn't realized there was a code of conduct to follow in these situations, but apparently there was… and apparently he broke it, because Stanley was not happy with him. She screeched and fought him every step of the way. Then again, maybe that was because he forced her to get dressed out on the deck outside his room?!

Thankfully, she quieted down some when he threw her a small zip lock bag, containing what was left of his stash of weed. See, another reason to go see James later in the day.

He watched Jessica from the top of the stairs, as she navigated her way around the puddles on the muddy path across the lawn. And then, after a few more shouted insults, she was finally out of sight! Finally! That only took freaking FOREVER! Time to burn the sheets, possibly the mattress too…. but first he would have to call Em, and have him check on Alice… and then shower…

However, before Edward could get on with things, he was interrupted by a shrill and all too familiar voice, mocking him.

"Really, Edward?! Stanley? This is a new low even for you!"

"Shut up!" was his brilliant response as he scanned the garden below.

Sure enough, there at the bottom of the stairs was Alice, aka his quick-witted, up-to-no-good twin sister… alive and in fine vigor it seemed. Good for her….

Yes, Edward was blessed-or cursed depending on how you looked at it-with a twin sister. They were nothing alike, but seeing as they were 'only' fraternal twins, they weren't expected to be each other's clones. They couldn't be more opposite —in all aspects, really.

In terms of looks, one was short, blue eyed and a natural blonde (covered by layers and layers of jet black hair dye!) and the other was tall, green eyed and well… practically a ginger.

Yep, Edward was stuck with a copper-like tint to his hair, courtesy of their mother's awesome gene pool (thank you Great-great-grandma Eliza Ann for having an illicit affair with the ginger piano tuner... Much appreciated….not!).

Edward's hair had been the bane of his existence when he was younger. He'd been tempted to dye it black many a times, but he knew himself well enough to recognize that he was too much of a lazy-bum to maintain a dye job. Also, with dark hair, they might actually start to look alike, him and Alice, and no one wanted that… So copper it was. Unless he could convince Alice to go platinum blonde, like her bestie Rosalie, the ice queen…Hm, now that was a thought.

The biggest difference between Edward and his sister however, was without a doubt their respective personalities. Alice was the kind of person that would talk your ear off if you let her. His twin sister was very bubbly, outgoing and colorful (in more ways than one).

If there was ever a blackout, you could use Alice, with her non-stop talking and bright clothes, for navigation. She was hard to miss...but that was just Alice for you… She enjoyed being seen and heard.

This particular morning, for example, she wore an oversized, electric blue sweater that hung tent-like on her tiny frame. Over that she wore a black vest, but she also had a pair of knee-high, striped socks on. The outfit was completed by a bold printed silk scarf, tied loosely round her head. Her choice of clothes made absolutely no since to Edward's untrained eye, but it was probably very fashionable. His sister spent every penny she made (selling artsy stuff she created on etsy and ebay) on purchasing crazy expensive designer crap… She was crafty, he had to give her that.

Edward had no illusions about himself. He knew was the opposite of bubbly and outgoing (and surprise, surprise, he wore mostly dark clothes).

If you asked his sister, she'd probably tell you her twin was the shy, silent type. She'd say that he was antisocial and that he enjoyed sulking in dark corners and growling at people who didn't leave him alone. Well, that's what she would say on a good day, anyway. If you caught her on a day when they were on outs with each other, she would call her brother a neurotic loser… but whatever… It wasn't like Edward didn't know how to get back at her… They were like any other siblings, constantly taking jabs at each other.

He could live with Alice calling him antisocial, that was fine. His mother's assessment of him however, was something else entirely. According to mommy dearest, he was an 'insanely talented and intelligent young man'… so far so good, right?! But she also found him 'shy and introverted and severely limited by his OCD-tendencies."

Edward didn't think his OCD was that big of a deal, but whatever… He had a few phobias, his fear of germs being the most prominent one. So what? It's totally not unusual for any teenager to have a phobia, or two….His mom did not agree - 'Edward, honey, when it gets to a point where you start actively avoiding human contact, then it's more than just a phobia.'

Of course, she also had a theory on why he was having these, what she would call 'anxiety issues'. According to her, it all came down to poor coping mechanisms and long lasting effects of underlying childhood trauma … Oh and let's not forget Edward's deep-rooted inability to ask for, and accept help.

Lovely, right?!

It just so happened that his mother was a shrink by profession, both his parents were doctors actually, but in widely different areas of specialization.

If you think your parents are annoying, try living together with two 'know-it-all-besserwissers' that are always out to diagnose and analyze anything and everything that deviate from the norm!

Edward had come to loathe the very thought of having his brain picked in any way shape or form. No wonder he'd developed a deep-rooted allergy for opening up and accepting this 'help' that everyone seemed to think he was in need of. He was FINE, obviously (insert eye-roll) and didn't need, or want anyone meddling with his life….

Besides, they were wrong about his social skills. He was not some emo loser, outcast, or lonely dweeb. As for being a bit antisocial at times… Sure, he was more introverted than extroverted and if that made him antisocial, then so be it. But come on, shy? He didn't have a shy bone in his body!

In fact, he was very popular with the ladies at school and all the guys looked up to him for it… or perhaps they looked up to him because of his reputation of never losing a fight? It was like they had all heard of someone being roughed up by Edward Cullen at one point or another… they called it the Cullen-experience… The whole thing was wildly exaggerated, of course. Nonetheless, everyone knew who he was and everyone wanted him at their parties etc. Not bad for an antisocial germaphobe, right?!

The way some people were tripping over themselves, fighting over his attention was quite pathetic, really…

Anyway, back to the issue at hand; how to get Alice to shut up about Stanley…. He already knew he had messed up big time! He didn't need to hear about it from his own sister.

"Hey, smart ass, what are you even doing out here?" he shouted down at Alice. "Don't you have better things to do, like apologizing to Jasper for drunk-flashing your boobs in public again," he added, hoping to distract her.

"Nice try. I'm not falling for that one," she shouted back. "What does it look like I'm doing, Sir-Drink-A-lot? Taking out the trash. Same as you."

Touché! It had not escaped his notice that she was, indeed, lugging around a giant plastic garbage bag.

"Hah-fucking-hilarious," he responded, shaking his head and immediately wishing he hadn't. Bloody hell that hurt!

"Got you there, didn't I?!" Alice responded smugly. At least his sister seemed to be her usual witty self this morning. One less thing to worry about it seemed…

"I'm warning you, Al. Don't mess with me today," he half-whined, half-growled. "My head hurts like a bitch…If anyone asks, you saw nothing. Understood?"

She remained quiet for a second or two, which in itself was quite unusual, but then, she went on doing something almost unheard of- she nodded, like as if agreeing to let the subject go.

"You know what, brother dearest, " she said, with a serious voice. "I'm gonna try and forget I saw anything. I might need bleach to wash my eyes, but I'll try. ... I mean, I just saw Jessica Stanley naked, and it was not a pretty sight-…"

"Shut up Al!" he groaned.

"Alright, aright," she laughed and then proceeded to pretend to close a zipper over her mouth. "You're lucky, Edward. No one and I mean NO ONE will have any interest in hearing what you and Stanley were up to last night. Unless, of course, you delivered a baby and dumped it in a dumpster."

"What the fuck?!… No, I'm pretty sure that didn't happen."

Geez, what was she even on about? He turned around ready to leave, when she spoke again.

"I wouldn't laugh if I were you, because it really did happen! Haven't you checked your phone this morning? I bet it's blowing up with alerts and comments about this, same as mine."

"I don't do Facebook, that's for losers like you," Edward had his hand on the door, ready to push it open.

"I'm serious even aired a segment on TV about it; interviews with Mike Newton and Chief Swan."

"Okay, but w-…" he tried to get a word in, but Alice did not give him a chance.

"They showed the dumpster and everything. The details are sketchy, but someone really, truly did the unthinkable…. Can you imagine someone from around here, doing something like that? I bet it was someone just passing through or something…. I hope it wasn't someone from school, that would be… awful… They are saying the mother might be at risk of catching a severe infection, or that she could be bleeding out… that she needs to get herself to a hospital, to get checked out by a doctor…"

She was talking faster now and Edward wasstruggling to keep up.

"…and as if that isn't bad enough…. Mom and Dad are on their way back, because the hospital is apparently in a 'standby' mode. They'll be here WAY earlier than they originally said they would and now-…"

"Oh my god, will you stop talking for a second!" he cut her off, rubbing his temples. "Firstly, you sound like a possessed maniac when you talk that fast and it hurts my brain trying to keep up. Secondly, what are you even talking about? Why would anyone wanna interview Newton?"

"Is that what you got from what I just said?" Alice crossed her arms, sounding completely astonished.

"Well, yeah… The Chief can be entertaining to watch, sure… But why would anyone waste camera time on someone as boring as Mike?"

"Because he found a freaking baby in the dumpster behind the auditorium at school-… "

"He found WHAT?" Edward interrupted her, genuinely surprised. This morning just got weirder and weirder… was he even awake?He pinched himself, just to make sure he wasn't having one of those unexplainable dream, hallucination, or acid trip. But nope, he was wide awake...

"I already told you. A newborn baby, in the green dumpster behind-…" his sister began explaining again, but then she stopped mid sentence, as something startled her.

It was as sudden as it was unexpected; the sound of a drawn out groan, coming from a spot further down the garden.

"What the hell was that?" Alice shrieked and jumped back, staring at the thick hedge of tall-growing bushes, from behind which the sound most likely had come from.

.

.

 _ **AN: Dun, dun, dun...plot thickens….**_


	8. Chapter 8

**-=[ The past -Isabella Swan, 17 y.o ]=-**

 **Edward POV**

 **8.**

"It sounds like there is someone behind the bushes, like in the hammock, or close to it!" Alice hissed, craning her neck in an attempt to look beyond the hedge.

"I think it sounds like the boogie man coming to get you, Alice"Edward grumbled,rubbing his temples to ease the throbbing pain that just wouldn't go away. He couldn't even see the darn swinging bed thingy in the first place... let alone see in it was empty or not.

"Don't be ridiculous. Come down here and help me check who it is," his sister demandedin her typical bossy manner."Did you give anyone permission touch mom's hammock? What if someone's collapsed there last night -…"

"Yes, because everyone knows they need my permission before they dare fall asleep in the bushes," Edward sighed in an exaggerated manner, but he did as he was told and came down the stairs to join his sister on the muddy pathway below.

"It's probably just a squirrel or something," he suggested, even though he knew Alice wouldn't settle for anything less than a thorough inspection.

"Or… it could be Stanley still lurking about, spying on you," she shot back as she started moving towards the source of the sound.

Just then a distinct cough was heard, or a series of coughs really, calling for their attention.

"That's doesn't sound good."

"No, it doesn't," Edward agreed, as they took the last few steps towards the hammock.

They were in for a surprise, Edward perhaps more so than Alice.

.

…

.

Edward heard his sister gasp.

"Bella…? Is that you?"

Sure enough, lying there on the cushioned hammock, underneath a mountain of blankets was the police chief's daughter, Bella Swan.

Edward curled his hands into fists by his sides, feeling the familiar irritation he always felt around Bella Swan these days.

She looked confused, blinking like she had just woken up from a three-day bender with no idea where she was.

Not to different from the look Edward himself was sporting this morning, really. Though, Bella wasn't the type to do three-day benders. In fact, he could only remember seeing her drunk twice in the whole year he'd known her. He'd seen her smoke weed and blunts and stuff, yes.… at least in the past. Supposedly, she had been cutting down on that quite a bit over the summer, but that was then and now is now. Maybe she was back at it again… New school year, new worries.

Perhaps Bella, too, had been gifted with some of James 'goodies'. It would certainly explain why she looked the same way Edward felt.

The thing was, Edward knew his friend had a soft spot for this girl - like every other guy at school, it seemed. Allegedly, if the rumors were true, James had drunkenly hit on Bella Swan on more than one occasion... Not that James would ever admit to anything of the sort, of course, but this was high school and words got around quickly. Edward had heard about from multiple sources, one of them being Alice, but also from none other than the Swan girl herself.

In hindsight, however, he suspected Swan might have been exaggerating these incidences a bit in hope of provoking some sort of reaction out of him.

That's right… Isabella Swan was THAT girl - the exception that had made him bend every rule he'd created to protect himself.

Well, not anymore. He'd ended things with her. The girl was HISTORY. Thank God! There certainly weren't any residual feelings there. He didn't even do feelings or relationships in the first place, just hookups.

Bella Swan had been an unusually long hookup, that's all. After months of casually sleeping together, things had suddenly gotten heavy and … well weird. Okay, this girl had been a bit… different from the very beginning, but not like this. There had been a noticeable change in her attitude.

It all started with the accident. Right before summer break, Bella had gone and hurt her leg in a freak accident, involving an out-of-control car. Which, okay, he could understand how that might have brought some not so pleasant memories up to the surface. She hadn't been dealing with it well, though.

Edward had seen her spiral down to where she had no desire to do anything - except sleep, spew anger over everyone and everything and then sleep some more. Honestly, he was pretty sure she was like… seriously manic depressive, or something...

Yes, he realized he was a total hypocrite for throwing a diagnosis around without actually knowing shit about it.

It was quite simple, really – they both had their issues to tackle and problem to overcome, but hers had seemed more acute than his though. Edward wasn't interested in being her shoulder to lean on. Was it cold? Yes. But come on, his mom was her God damn psychiatrist. He shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place. Ending things with her was the best thing he could do for everyone involved.

He was done with Bella Swan. He didn't want to talk to her. He didn't want to see her. He didn't want to think about her.

In fact, what was he even doing standing there, mouth open, gawking at her, when he should have fucked off ages ago? He had no business being there. Yet, Edward couldn't seem to get his feet to cooperate.

"When did you get here, Bella? Geez, you scared us half to death. Why didn't you come inside?" Alice was firing off questions, not noticing, or caring perhaps, that her freshly woken friend had yet to respond to any of them.

"Are you hungry? We've got breakfast, if you want some," Alice went on suggesting, motioning behind her towards the house. "Oh, did you hear the news by the way? Silly me! Of course you did. Your dad was on TV and everything."

Bella was staring straight ahead with a completely blank expression on her face. She was not having a good morning, that much was clear. Her hair fell limp around her shoulders making her face look even more pale than normal. Her eyes were heavy lidded and surrounded by dark circles. All in all, Bella Swan looked… bone tired and completely miserable, actually.

The thought barely registered in Edward mind, before Bella let out a loud groan and leaned over the side of the hammock, violently dry-heaving like she was trying to throw up, but couldn't.

This was getting nasty! Edward couldn't look and he didn't dare breathing through his nose. If it was one thing he couldn't stand, it was vomit. Yet, some sort of morbid curiosity kept him from leaving.

"Sorry… Don't feel good," Bella finally croaked out, accepting Alice's help to sit back up again.

"You look a bit pale and your hands are ice cold," Alice frowned in concern. "Isabella Marie Swan, did you sleep out here? I thought Jake was taking you home. What happened? Did you two get into another argument?"

"I don't know," she admitted, rubbing her face. "Jake was here? I don't remember..."

Edward couldn't help but snicker atthat one. Poor Jake, dull as a stale doughnut and about as memorable as one too.

Jake, or Jacob Black, was simply yet another one of the many admirers, flocking around Bella Swan. This guy, however, had an advantage the others didn't – he was a childhood friend of Bella's. And more importantly he was chummy with her father, chief Swan - an advantage Jake didn't hesitate to use in every way possible.

It came as absolutely no surprise to Edward that the two were dating. He had seen it coming a mile away.

They made a lovely couple, he supposed. Bella, being just a few months shy of turning eighteen, had the maturity of an emotionally unstable fifteen year old, while her cocky, self-absorbed boyfriend WAS an immature fifteen year old. Yes, that's right Jacob Black was a fifteen year old child. Not for the first time he wondered what Bella saw in that loser….

It wasn't any of his business, he thought bitterly. He knew he had no claims on her whatsoever—never had. He'd be lying though, if he said he wasn't itching to break the fucker's neck whenever he saw them together…But what-the-fuck-ever… It was water under the bridge… history…

Suddenly – he snapped to out of his internal monologue with the realization that Alice was looking towards him expectantly…

"Oh, hrm? What was that, something about Black?" he asked, trying to focus.

"What time?" Alice asked, impatiently.

"What time, what?"

"What time did Jake and his buddies leave last night?"

"I don't know… Why the fuck would I know? Are you sure he was even here? I mean, I never saw him… and I sure as hell didn't invite him!"

"Well, I definitely did see him. He was here, I spoke with him and everything," Alice insisted. "He said he was looking for Bella, said that she'd called for him to come get her, that she wasn't feeling good…." She was moving her hands animatedly as she spoke. "Are you sure, you don't remember any of this, Bella? "

"I… I don't know..." Bella raised her gaze off the ground, her eyes glazing over for a second as if in thought. "No, I don't think I saw him…."

It seemed like an evasive answer, and Alice wasn't completely satisfied.

"Well, it doesn't matter if you remember it or not. He was at the party looking for you. He was supposed to take you home… I can't believe he just left you out here… that's a really shitty thing to do…."

"There were a lot of people here last night," Bella said quietly. "Honestly, I don't' remember calling him, but if I did, maybe he was looking for me but never found me… I really don't know... All I remember is being cold and lonely… and wanting to go home…"

"Alright, guess he got caught up with something," Alice agreed with a frown.

"Some boyfriend," Edward scoffed under his breath.

Bella's head shot up, "He's not my boyfriend." she said sharply.

"Does the kid know that, though? Because he definitely thinks you're his girlfriend and that you're dating."

"Well, we're not… I keep telling you guys that he's just someone, I sometimes hang out with. We're friends," she mumbled, composing herself. "But whatever… I'm free to see whoever I want."

"Yeah, yeah, you keep saying that…. Where's your phone, B? Hand it over!" Alice instructed and Bella gave her a confused face.

"Uh, what? Why?"

"I want to check your call log AND to get in touch your so-called friend and ask him what the hell happened."

"No, don't!" Bella protested and started pulling the blankets tighter around her as if she was worried Alice would try and physically wrestle her for her phone.

"Come on, it's not like I can't get his number from-… WAIT!" she suddenly interrupted herself and gave Bella a sharp look. "What the hell are you wearing?"

Bella let out an exasperated groan, one that Edward couldn't help but to join in on.

"It's called clothes, Alice," he told her with an annoyed tone of voice.

Edward was at the foot of the hammock now, because apparently he had been steadily inching closer again without even realizing it.

"Don't get smart with me," Alice shot back. "I was just wondering if there is any particular reason why she is wearing YOUR clothes?"

"My clothes?" he echoed stupidly.

"Yes, Edward, that's what I said. I'm pretty sure that grey hoodie is identical to the one you always wear when you go jogging in the mornings."

She was right… And not just the hoodie, the bottoms too, judging by the sweatpant-clad leg sticking out from under the blankets. How were they even staying up on her? They were an old, ratty pair with no elastic in the waistband.

"Don't look at me," Edward held up his hands, as to defend himself from, feeling a twinge of irritation come over him. "I had nothing to do with this!"

Or rather, he didn't remember having anything to do with it… He wasn't about to admit to that though.

"They ARE your clothes."

"We've already established that. Thank you, Alice!"

He tried to catch Bella's gaze, but it was lowered to her lap.

She'd stolen clothes from him before – a few pairs of boxers, some t-shirts — always after sex and alw-.. 'No freaking way,' he groaned inwardly. Surely, he would have remembered if they had been physical with each other in any capacity last night, right?! RIGHT!

Though, in all honesty he still couldn't remember how, exactly, Jessica, the skank, Stanley had manage to weasel her way into his room and into his bed … Even if bits and pieces had started coming back to him, it was all still hazy. He vaguely remembered Stanley trying to rile him up, to no avail. Certain parts of his anatomy had simply not been up for it, so to speak. Good to know that even high as a kite he still had some standards.

He also had images of making out with Tanya Denali going through his mind. In the kitchen, against the fridge… Her tongue had been shoved down her throat. What the fuck!? He didn't do that. Swapping saliva just wasn't his thing… And Tanya? Sure they had history, but he hadn't so much as looked at her for the last year or so.

So yeah, it was entirely possible things had gone down last night that he wasn't proud of. Mistakes of mammoth proportions. The mere thought had him feeling sick to his stomach. And he wasn't the only one feeling that way it seemed….

Bella had her eyes squeezed shut now, making distressed sounds, similar to the ones she'd been making when they had first found her.

"I'm gonna…I'm gonna be sick," she warned, leaning over the edge of the hammock again.

Oh and by the way, she didn't just dry heave. Nope, out came a mess; a smelly, disgusting mess.

This time Edward's feet were moving faster than his mind, and before he knew it, he'd taken off running.

He didn't stop running until he was inside his bathroom, in the shower scrubbing himself under scalding hot water.

What had he done? Why couldn't he just stay away?

….

.

AN:/ So, now you've met Bella... E & B are both a bit messed up, it's something they sort of bonded over in the beginning (you'll get to read about how they first met, eventually.). They are not together, nor have they ever been officially dating. Edward ended things when he got... shall we say overwhelmed, afraid of caring too much, is perhaps more like it. He doesn't 'do' feelings, or so he thinks...

I've moved Bella birthday a bit, as I need her to be seventeen a little while longer for plot reasons.


	9. Chapter 9

_**AN: Please note the time jump! We'll revisit the past again soon, don't worry… And don't let the name change fool you. Isabelle = Bella, only a few years older and a bit wiser.**_

 _ **So, the story changes character a bit here. We'll be getting Bella's point of view, but with a time jump. She simply wasn't ready before to start untangling the carefully constructed web of lies, but she is now. So here goes…**_

 _ **But first a nightmare…**_

 _ **.**_

 **-=[ The present, Isabelle Higginbotham, 22 y.o]=-**

 **.**

 **9**

 **-=((( Nightmare)))=-**

.

Home. She just wanted to get home….

She made an attempt to get to her feet, but before she could stand to her full height, a fresh wave of pain brought her down on her knees again.

Droplets of rain hit her face, or was it tears? Were the angels crying with her?

She must have reached the clearing now, she could tell, because she could see the sky, moonlight danced like windblown flames, devouring the treetops around her.

She thought she heard someone calling her name. There was a distant echo, warped and warbled. Was it real? Or just her mind playing tricks on her?

Then the pain eased up a bit, and she managed to take another couple of steps without incident, before her stomach cramped up again.

Her vision shrunk to a narrow tunnel. Then a pinprick. Everything appeared as swirling shadows.

The ground was cold, wet and muddy… Muddy? Oh, the pond… Don't fall into the wate, Swan…

Then, all thoughts were gone as the pain spiked to unbearable levels. She dropped to her knees and screamed with all her might, a bloodcurdling, heartbroken scream.

.

…

.

Isabelle jolted awake with a gasp as the same old nightmare ruthlessly woke her up for the millionth time.

Her breathing was erratic and fast and her heart was pounded wildly in her ears.

It wasn't like she didn't know what had brought it on this time. Of course she had known the two and a half hour drive-from SeaTac to Port Angeles-would bring back a flood of memories. The landscape she'd driven through had been oh-so-familiar; green and lush with an ocean of tall, green, majestic trees. They were the same trees she saw in all her nightmares.

'Get a grip, woman,' she scolded herself, as she turned the bedside lamp on. 'It's a known fact that dreams help you process, help you grow and heal. You know this, you didn't get that bachelor's degree for nothing.'

At least she had not woken up crying this time. There was always that.

As she waited for her heart to slow down again, she tried to focus on her surroundings; the cheap, dingy hotel room with the crack in the roof above the bed and the ugly, yellow wallpaper. However, her mind was still reeling with flashbacks.

She knew that if she closed her eyes, she would be transported back in time. If she closed her eyes, she would see her 17-year old self, stumble through the woods, alone and in excruciating pain. These images were so vivid in her mind, she could practically smell the pine of the Olympic Peninsula and feel the chilly sea breeze from the north.

It was always the same nightmare, the same flashbacks. How many times over the last five years had she not been forced to relive THAT particular night? She would watch herself reach the pond by the clearing and once there-… No, she didn't want to think about it. No matter how much she tried, she could not change the outcome anyway.

The naïve 17-year-old girl she had once been (the walking shell of a human that used to call herself Bella) was long gone. She was Isabelle Higginbotham now, a woman with no past and only reasonable expectations of her future.

What had happened in the past did not matter anymore; it was in the past and would have to stay in the past, where it belonged.

She did not have the strength to go down that dark road again.

.  
.

Isabelle parked the car in the visitors section, on the right side of the main building. She picked the same spot she had used all the other times. She preferred to have the car as close to the entrance as possible. It was the only regularity she had stuck to with these visits.

It had been half a week now- four days, four visits.

She fumbled with the key as she locked the car, fingers numbed from the chill in the air. It was raining; big fat, drops of rain fell like tears from the sky. She pulled her hoodie tighter around her and hurried across the parking lot.

After years of living in the hot and dry Arizona climate, she had almost forgotten how it always rained in these parts, but for once it was actually a blessing to start each day with a downpour. This weather made it possible to hide beneath layers and layers of oversized, lumpy clothes without anyone looking at you twice for it.

She walked into the tall glass building and headed straight for the elevator. The ride to the third floor took only a few minutes, and from there it took another four seconds, or nine steps, to get to the nurses' station.

It was a male nurse this morning, one that she had not met before. This was why she would alternate the time for her visits. Fresh faces meant less chance of someone recognizing her, or drawing the right conclusions, at least that's what she told herself.

When asked to sign-in, she scribbled down her legal name, 'Isabelle Higginbotham', at the top of the page. It had been years since she'd changed it, yet it still felt like a lie, like pretending that she could be someone she wasn't. On the inside she was still the same person, the same Bella Swan, only a few years older and a lot more... wiser she hoped and jaded, for sure.

Her thoughts fluttered briefly to the her apartment back in Phoenix and the shoebox underneath her bed, where she kept her old drivers' license and ID card, along with a few other personal items she just couldn't let go of. Few people knew her real name and even fewer knew why she had changed it. It was her secret and liked it to stay that way.

While she was waiting, she took a glance at her phone to see if she had any new messages, she didn't. It was a relief, but also a source of anxiety. She'd kind of, sort of, done something stupid the previous night. Right before going to bed, she had caved and sent a short 'M U' message to the guy she had recently broken up with (mutual decision), but still sort of clung to out of pure habit.

He hadn't answered, which, in a way, was a good thing. This was what they had agreed on, she reminded herself, while she turned her phone off and put it away again. This was what they needed - a clean break with no contact for a while. It was better it ended now, before more serious damage was done. She would never be what he wanted and he would never be what she needed. It was as simple as that.

Most of the time, she preferred to be alone anyway. Being alone meant nobody could hurt you. Being alone meant she couldn't accidently hurt anyone else. Being alone was the best choice for her.

She was pleased to note that her name was the only one on the list, meaning she was first visitor this morning. This was why she liked the morning visits over the mid-day visits. Less people milling about, less risk of someone taking a good look at her and saying 'Hey, you look familiar...have I seen you somewhere before?"

Those dreaded 'Swans in the Pond trial' headlines still haunted her to this day. Thankfully though, it had been years since she'd last read about herself in the papers. Yet, she still held her breath when the nurse looked up and took the form from her to enter the information to the system.

She needn't have worried, though. The nurse typed, clicked and typed some more, then simply said, "This way miss," and pointed her towards the door, behind which she knew she would find the hairnet, booties and facemask she was required to wear.

She got the same instructions, the same speech, she'd gotten the previous three times she'd visited. Nothing out of the ordinary happened until she had grabbed what she needed and was about to step back into the hallway again.

Out of the periphery of her vision she saw a flash of yellow; a head of blonde hair.

She turned her head just in time to see a man rounding the corner of the nurse's station, laughing to himself.

She recognized that laugh, she recognized that hair.

Mike Newton….

Against her will, her mind skipped back five years in time.

.

 ** _AN: Next chapter will be in past tense again, Bella remembering her first day at Forks High meeting Mike, and all the others (the usual suspects =) of course._**


	10. Chapter 10

_**AN: So I messed up at the beginning of the last chapter I posted. I'd been going back and forth on how big of a time jump I wanted to make, 5 or 10 years. The last thing I did before submitting the chapter was changing it back to 5 years again (for the third time…). I did, however, miss to change that one line about Bella having a master's degree . With the time jump being 5 years it's more realistic that she'd she's working on getting her degree… but that she is not quite there yet**_ _ ** _ **(as some of you pointed out)**_. I'll sort it out the next time her life in Phoenix is brought up. It's important for the storyline that she's studied psychology and that she is working, or volunteering, in a certain field of work. But more about that later.**_

 _ **First things first… Here we have 17 year old Bella's first impression of Forks High.**_

 _ **.**_

 **-=[The Past - Isabella Swan, 17 y.o]=-**

 **10**

.

 **Bella's POV – First impressions**

.

 _Previously:_

 _She turned her head just in time to see a man rounding the corner of the nurse's station, laughing to himself._

 _She recognized that laugh, she recognized that hair._

 _Mike Newton…._

 _Against her will, Bella's mind skipped back five years in time._

...

.

She was early. The parking lot was empty save for a few cars, presumably belonging to staff members. In a way, this was good news. The fewer that saw her arriving at school in her dad's police cruiser, the better…

With a sigh, Bella quashed down the urge to turn around and leave. It was her first day at Forks High school, though technically, it was already the second week of the semester. As much as she didn't want to be here, she knew she couldn't put it off any longer.

She wasn't nervous per say, just a bit on edge. 'You've got this. Keep your head down and just survive,' she gave herself a mental pep talk, as she swung her bag over her shoulder and took a step forward.

Just then, some guy stepped into her path and grabbed her by the arm.

She nearly jumped out of her skin, "Don't touch me!" she hissed instinctively. Perhaps not the best course of action to take in this scenario…

The guy blocking her way looked relatively harmless. She forced herself to relax her stance somewhat. He was not particularly tall or built… A non-jock, would be her guess. He looked to be the confident type though, but hopefully he was not overly forward or hands-on in his approach.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. I saw you standing here alone and figured you must be the new girl," the guy said, smiling brightly at her. "Isabella from Arizona, right?"

Outwardly she rolled her eyes. Inwardly she was still recoiling from the unwanted physical contact.

"It's Bella," she corrected him. "You're the welcoming-committee, I take it?"

"Oh, so you go by Bella, eh? That's cool… rolls easy off the tongue. I like it." He was probably trying to flirt with her, but despite his best effort, it came off as slightly comical. He was simply too baby-faced (he had the puffiest cheeks) and too prepubescent-looking to pull off anything even remotely seductive.

"I'm Mike. Mike Newton," he added when she didn't say anything.

Thankfully, he didn't go for a handshake, or try and touch her again. Instead he simply offered another smile.

Nice teeth and a quick learner... at least he had something going for him…

She gave him a little nod. It was inadequate perhaps, but it was all she could muster.

"We don't get many new faces round here," he continued as enthusiastically as ever and threw a hand through his mess of spiky blonde hair. "I just wanted to be the first one to welcome you to Forks High!"

"Thanks. I'm sure I'll see you around," she told him, hating the way her voice betrayed her uneasiness. "Now, if you could please step aside," she tried again, this time speaking with exaggerated care. "I've got to go collect my schedule and stuff... first day and all… but, it's been nice talking to you, Mikey"

"It's Mike and yes, nice talking to you too Bella. Oh, hey wait… one more thing. Your last name's Swan, right? Is it true that Chief Swan is your dad?"

"Gee Mike, what do you think? I mean, seeing as you clearly saw me arrive in a police cruiser just a few minutes ago…"

"You got me there, but you don't look much like him. That's why I'm asking." He was trying for nonchalance, but failed as a smile broke out on his face within seconds. "You know… no beer gut, sideburns or pornstache…" He threw his head back and laughed at his own attempt at humor. "Sorry, sorry… I know he's your dad, but I couldn't help myself…."

"Ha ha, funny…" She shook her head, but managed to stretch her lips wide enough to produce something resembling a smile. "That mustache of his really does make him look like an out of shape 70s porn star, I'll give you that… But, uhm…I really need to get going, so…"

"Yeah, of course." He waved a hand in the general direction of the school building and finally moved to the side to let her pass. "Use the doors on the side of the building. Just round the round the corner over there... It gets you where you need to go, and it's a lot faster than going through the main entrance."

"All right, thanks…"

"If you get lost, or if you need anything. I'm your guy… Don't hesitate to ask for help," Mike saluted her in an over-exaggerated manner. "And please, feel free to come sit by my table at lunch, if you like," he called out after her.

She scrunched her nose, muttering, 'Yeah, I don't think so, Mikey…' as she hurried past him and took off around the corner.

.

...

.

The side entrance was easy to find, located precisely where Mike had said it would be.

However, Bella barely made it up the short flight of outside stairs, before she ran into trouble again. Or rather, trouble ran dead smack into her.

She would've lost her balance from the impact, but strong arms caught her before she could fall and make a total fool of herself. Her book bag, however, wasn't as lucky; it tumbled down all the way to the bottom of the stairs, its contents scattering everywhere.

"Fuck! Watch where you're going!" a clearly irritated, male voice snapped at her.

Bella blinked, startled and... well, actually startled pretty much covered it.

The first thing she noticed about the guy was his ridiculously well-defined jaw line. There was not an ounce of childish chub on this guy's face, that's for sure…. It was all sharp lines and rough angles, accentuated by a distinct scowl and a good amount of stubble.

The rest of him was all broad shoulders and long limbs. He appeared to be fit, but without being overly muscular. Striking was the word that came to mind, but she wasn't sure that was the right one. He had an air of 'assholery' about him that didn't sit well with her. She got the feeling he was not a very pleasant person to be around.

He was currently glaring at her like someone had drawn a penis on her forehead. What the hell is his problem? Then, suddenly, the guy drew back like he'd burned himself, muttering, "the nerve of some people."

He wiped his hands on his jeans and followed up with something that sounded like 'fucking retarded freshmen should know their place'.

"This bird aint no freshman," came a second, much friendlier, voice from somewhere above them. What was this? God-like intervention?

Bella followed the voice and saw a big hulk of a guy, with neatly trimmed, brown hair, and sparkling blue eyes, standing on the top of the stairs. "Go easy on her, Eddie," he said. "I'm pretty sure that's the Swan girl."

"What?" the first guy spat, his gaze snapping to look at his friend."What are you even on about?"

"She's a proper bird this one –a Swan. I think she's Chief Swan's daughter. I believe her name is Isabella, isn't that so?"

"Just Bella," she corrected him automatically. It was reflex; she didn't even have to think about it. She was too busy studying him, trying to gage what she was up against.

Gosh, this guy was really huge for a high schooler – not particularly tall though, perhaps just a shade under average height, but beefy in stature, built like a football player.

"Why, hello there, just Bella," the hulk grinned, showing off a set of dimples.

While he was intimidating in size and stance, there was something open and honest about his face. Unlike his friend, this one seemed to be a genuinely easy going kinda guy. Probably high in demand with the ladies…

With a smile like that, she would be surprised if he didn't have a very pretty, very popular cheerleader girlfriend. Personally, she felt a bit off-put by his size, but each to their own, she supposed.

"Ohhh, I just thought of a bird joke for you," the big guy suddenly exclaimed, his face lighting up like Christmas. "What do you do if a bird shits on your car?"

"Don't ask her out again," Bella responded, not missing a beat.

His face fell. "Bummer, can't believe you'd heard that one already. What are the odds…But don't worry little Swan, I've got more where that came from... just give me a second."

"Emmett, please…. spare us," grumpy face (Eddie, was it?), groaned. "Come on, lets' go. I need a smoke before class."

"Just a minute…" big guy answered, making it down the stairs in two giant leaps. "First, I'm gonna be a gentleman and do our mama proud," he grinned and went to pick Bella's bag off the ground. "I'm gonna help our new friend here, get her stuff together before it starts raining again."

"Thanks, but I've got it under control," Bella responded as she, too, walked down the stairs and took the bag from his outstretched hand.

"Oh, I'm sure you do...but I want to help," he insisted, handing her one of the many pens strewn across the muddy walkway. "And the impatient one over here, will help too." He pointed at the other guy, adding a teasing, "Won't you, Edward?!"

Oh. So that was his name. Edward.

"Oh, Shut up," the asshole grumbled. "I'll help, if it means we can get on with our morning quicker.."

Lovely… He couldn't have sounded less enthusiastic if he tried.

"Oh, I've got another one…. What did the ugly duckling say to the rubber duck?" the big guy suddenly asked, as he handed over more pens and a compact mirror.

"Have you had a facelift?" Bella replied with a small smile, accepting the items.

"Darn it!" He pouted a little, then smiled back as they shared a moment- a friendly one, mind you.

"What is it with girls and their stuff?" the Edward guy suddenly grumbled behind them. "I'll never for the life of me understand why you keep so much crap in your bags," he complained, kicking a tube of ChapStick around on the ground with his foot.

"I can answer that one for you… it's in our genes. Generally speaking, men hunt and women gather. It's as simple as that," Bella knelt down, grabbed the ChapStick and then started shoving things into her bag haphazardly. She was not really paying attention to where things went, she just wanting to get the hell out of there so that she could get on with her day.

"That makes sense. You're all hoarders in the making," Edward muttered under his breath.

"At least we have evolved and become more sophisticated beings, collecting other stuff than just nuts and berries. You guys are still stuck in the same age old ways. You only have one other interest than hunting down food-.."

"Ah, Sex, you mean," Emmett cut in.

"Sorry, my bad… two other interests aside from hunting down food," she corrected herself. "There is the fascination with the mating ritual, yes, but then there is the 'macho thing'…"

"What macho thing?" Emmett asked.

"Another age old ritual where two rivaling males butt heads and bang themselves on their chests, while making as many burping and farting noises as possible..."

"You're one funny chick, Bella," Emmett laughed, handing over a box of tampons without batting an eye. Though, Bella strongly suspected, he wasn't aware of what he had just held in his hand. A suspicion he pretty much confirmed, when he moved on to talk about her father next (that was two subject that should never go together...).

"Also, I must say, you look nothing like your old man," he said, tilting his head to one side, putting a finger to his chin in a mock thinking pose. "And before you get your feathers in a ruffle, I mean that as a compliment."

"I know. No mustache, or pornstache, or whatever," Bella rolled her eyes. "You're only the second one to tell me that this morning. And for the record, I think I've heard just about every bird joke there is. So, unless you have any new material to present, I wouldn't bother if I were you."

"Oh, feisty. I like that in a girl," Emmett smirked. "Name's Emmett McCarty by the way, I think I forgot to introduce myself. If anyone messes with you today just send them to me and I'll get it sorted for you." He cracked his knuckles while saying this.

"Unless, of course, it's my Rosalie that's giving you trouble," he continued. "…then I don't wanna get involved."

"Pussy-whipped," Edward coughed.

Emmett pretended not to hear. "Rosie is my girlfriend. She's nice most of the time, but when she mad you better get out of her way," he continued. "She's tall, blonde, leggy… a real knockout, if you ask me. Anyway, you'll know it's her when you see her…. "

"She's always frowning at one thing or another, that's how you'll know it's her," Edward supplied helpfully. "Formerly known as the 'Ice Queen' around this place."

"Formerly being the key phrase," Emmett pointed out, with a shake of his head. "By the way Bella, Mr. 'I-never-frown' on your left, is my little brother Edward, who thinks he's 'all that' just cos he's cleverer than the rest of us."

"Not just think, it's a fact. I have a higher IQ than the entire student body put together. That's not even bragging that's the plain truth."

"Just ignore him, that's what I do." Emmett's voice took on a conspiratorial tone. "He's a germaphobe and a clean freak, that's why he was being all weird and jumpy up on the stairs earlier. Doesn't like it when people get too close to him… It's the same thing every new semester..."

"Whatever….I just value my personal space. More people should," Edward grumbled, looking away. "Are we done here... or what?"

"Almost," Emmett responded, before turning back to Bella, "We need to get going. You got everything Bella?"

"Yeah, I think so, thanks!"

"Wait, looks like we missed something over there. Something plastic… Behind you, Edward."

"Where? You get it… I don't see it."

"There," Emmett pointed again. "See Bella, this is exactly what I was talking about," he continued, taking the opportunity to poke more fun at his brother. "Eddie claims he doesn't have a problem, yet note how he looks like he'd rather die than touch anything that's been on the grou-..."

"I don't have a problem," Edward his brother off, bending down to grip the object, whatever it was, between finger and thumb.

'Ooh crap!' Bella had time to think as he turned around and came over, dangling a tiny Ziplock bag in his hand; a Ziplock bag with two white pills inside. This was potentially more awkward than having her tampons waved around for everyone to see.

On one hand, she was glad she'd had the foresight to take the pills out of their original container. They looked nondescript and plain like this, like they could be anything; vitamins, pain killers or laxatives … On the other hand, the ziplock bag made the whole thing look susp…. like the pills were illegally obtained drugs, rather than prescribed medication.

"Those are mine, thank you very much. They are… iron supplements," she lied, hating herself for feeling she owned these two strangers an explanation in the first place.

"For my hair," she continued when she was met with silence. "I woke up one morning with a bald spot the size of a tennis ball behind my ear," she rambled on, reaching to take the bag with the pills out of Edwards grasp. "Turns out it was from stress and iron deficiency. It's better now. The hair has grown back… Still gotta take the pills though…"

Edward was looking at her skeptically. He even had an eyebrow raised, as if saying 'oh really, is that the best you can do?' Before she could get a hold of the bag, he'd snatched out of her reach.

Emmett, however, seemed to swallow the explanation hook, line and sinker. "Just on your head? You're lucky then. There was a guy on the football team last year, a senior, that did not have one single hair on his entire body. He didn't even have eyelashes…. Or pubes… He looked like a baby with a giant-… well, you know what… It was kind of gross and not-.."

"Hey, Em. I think Alice's car just pulled up," Edward suddenly interrupted, pointing with his chin in the general direction of the student parking lot. "Weren't you supposed to meet the Ice Queen before first class to talk about that 'thing' you guys are planning?"

"Don't call her that…. and what THING? I don't remember a 'thing', but then again I've got a memory of a goldfish …" Emmett was scratching his head, while looking conflicted.

"Not at all pussy whipped, are you? "Edward was shaking his head. "Don't mind us… Just go to her. You know you want to."

"I do," he agreed. "Sorry little Swan, gotta jet. I'll speak to you later… Perhaps in the cafeteria at lunch, yeah?"

"Sure…later, I guess." Bella agreed, while making mental notes not to set her foot anywhere near the lunch cafeteria. Though, this Emmett McCarty character seemed a hundred times more bearable than that loser Mike Newton… but still… she wasn't here to make friends…

"Here Swan, I believe these are yours," Edward said, snapping her out of her train of thoughts.

Before she could answer, he proceeded to shove the ziplock bag into her hand. Both of them jumped at the weird jolt of electricity that seemed to run through their fingers where they touched.

How cliche! Sparks were flying alright... but it was not the pleasant, tingling kind...

Bella knew it was just a little static shock, but it had her feeling vulnerable and hated it. She's angry at herself, even more so than at him. Who did this guy think he was?

Suddenly, he was talking again. "You need to be more careful. The kids around here… they are uneducated, idiots. They think every pill bottle they see in their parent's medical cabinets, is filled party pills and uppers. They trade them like Pokémon cards. And if it's the real stuff… they'll stop at nothing to get their hands on it."

"I'll remember that, McCarty," she said, rolling her eyes at him. It was ridiculous that he thought she needed to be warned. This town was smaller than a flyspeck in comparison to the place she came from, but whatever…

"Cullen," he snapped.

"What?"

"Cullen," he repeated. "My name's Cullen. Emmett's my brother in every sense of the word. We just don't share the same last name… or the same blind faith in human nature," he said, rubbing his hands, as if to clean them. "I've got one more piece of advice for you; the Ice Queen, Rosalie Hale, she'll will claw your eyes out if you show up at my brother's table at lunch today. Just keep your distance, that's safest for everyone…"

And with that he turned around and walked away.

'Oh, believe me, I'm planning on it Cullen,' she told his retreating form.

Wow, it wasn't even eight in the morning yet and she'd already been introduced to a geek, a jock and an asshole… Who was up next? The captain of the cheering squad, or the president of the debate team? High school was such a waste of time... It seemed the smaller the town (and school), the more ridiculous everything appeared to be.

Just then, the first raindrops begin to fall and she knew she had to hurry up and get inside before it got worse.

It was only later that Bella had time to reflect on what a coincidence it was that the Asshole and dr. Esme Cullen -the head shrink Charlie had been forcing her to see weekly for about a month now — just so happened to have the same last name…

You know what they say about coincidences…. They don't exist.

.

…

.

 _ **AN: how is that for a first meeting? She's wrong about them sparks, of course...**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**A: Sorry it took me awhile to get this posted. I have been sick with a sinus infection for nearly two weeks. Not SICK sick( as in stay-home-from-work sick), but I've had KILLER headaches :-/ So it's work and sleep work and sleep. No energy for anything else. I'm on day two of feeling better now, fingers crossed it lasts.  
**_

 _ **This chapter is in present time again, (Bella 22 years old). This will explain why she 's back on her old stomping grounds again after years away. I saw someone in the reviews getting it right. She's visiting Charlie, who's in hospital on his-… well, you'll gonna have to read it for yourself...**_

.

.

 **-=[ Isabelle Higginbotham, 22 y.o, the present ]=-**

 **¨.**

 **11.**

.

 _Previously:_

 _Out of the periphery of her vision she saw a flash of yellow; a head of blonde hair._

She turned her head just in time to see a man rounding the corner of the nurse's station, laughing to himself.

 _She recognized that laugh, she recognized that hair._

 _Mike Newton…._

.

…

.

Mike freaking Newton.

Isabelle had seen the flicker of recognition in his eyes. She had seen him halt mid-step, as if to turn and say something.

However, bysome stroke of sheer luck, the confrontation never came. Instead, the double doors at the end of the hallway had burst open and an empty bed had been wheeled past Newton and the nurse's station; a three second distraction that allowed her to slip past him and get out of the situation.

One and a half hour later and her heart was still pounding. Would he talk? Of course he would. He was a Newton. Within a couple of hours, everyone and their grandma would know that Bella Swan had been seen visiting her father in Port Angeles.

It would be all over social media for sure. How long would it take before the local press got wind of this? Surely it wouldn't spread nationwide, like last time, but still… What would they write? What would the people on the street say? Would it be the same old nastiness and hurtful remarks all over again? She wished they would just leave her alone. Old news, old sins, she had done her penance. She wished-…

"Do you have any questions, Ms. Higginbotham?"

She raised her eyes to look at the person standing before her — Dr Snow, the attending doctor responsible for her father's medical care. He had been talking to her for the past five minutes, but she had not been listening, as her mind apparently preferred had gone into full panic mode.

He repeated his question and she shook her head 'no', she did not have any questions. He continued talking, giving her a rundown of Charlie's progress. She nodded occasionally – pointlessly–and when the conversation was over she uttered a brief word of thanks before returning to her father's bedside.

She didn't need to hear the doctor say it aloud to know there had been no progress to speak of. Her father, the Charlie Swan she had once known, was already long gone. He wasn't going to wake up again.

It had been ten days since her father had suffered his first cardiac arrest. It took the EMT's half an hour to bring him back on the floor of his bedroom. He then coded a second time on the way to the ER at Forks general, but once again they were able to revive him. He was later moved to the cardiac care unit at a slightly larger hospital, in the neighboring community of Port Angeles. Once there, it was quickly established that Charlie Swan had suffered severe brain damage. His EEG showed no brain activity, just brain stem.

Her father had already been gone by the time the hospital had managed to reach her. Never the less, Bella had dropped everything to get on the next available flight to see him; a decision she'd been second-guessing ever since. However, as strained as their relationship had been (she had seen her father exactly twice in the last five years, add to that the handful of times she had spoken to him over the phone and a few emails, you had the full extent of their contact), he was still her father, would always be her father. She knew she had to come and say goodbye in person, knew she had to see him one last time.

In hindsight, she realized she should not have stayed this long. One visit, five minutes, should have been more than enough. Coming here had been a calculated risk from the beginning—one that, if it went wrong, would have grave consequences on her personal life and mental wellbeing.

It had taken four days before she'd run into someone that seen and undoubtedly recognized her face. Only question now was how long would it take before words got out?

.

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	12. Chapter 12

_**AN: Another chapter with grown up Bella (two more to come after this before teenaged Bella in back again). This will introduce some new characters and a subplot.**_

 _ **Why a subplot, you might ask? I'm gonna answer that with a quote from Shelley Young. "My definition of a subplot is quite simple. It is a secondary path in your storyline that, when the secondary path connects to the main plot's path, will have the effects of fireworks on the 4th of July."**_

 _ **I have some fireworks planned out for later chapters ;) Also, keep in mind Bella's opinion on coincidences - they don't exist.**_

.

.

 **-=[ Isabelle Higginbotham, 22 y.o, the present ]=-**

 _(ASL is the abbreviation for American Sign Language)._

.

 **12.**

.

Two days passed with no change. Bella ate, slept and sat by Charlie's bedside. The days were long, and the nights even longer.

And then, when change came, it was nothing like she expected it to be.

She was in her rental car, heading back to her hotel room after a food run, when she got a call from her boss - Dr. David Banner, the Chief therapist at the East Meadow. The Meadow was a residential treatment facility for young female offenders and at-risk teenage girls.

Dr. Banner had been contacted by an old friend; Carmen Dolores, a Seattle based Psychologist, specialized in the assessment, treatment and management of child and adolescent concerns such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD... which was just a fancy title for someone working with troubled teens. The two knew each other from years back, when they used to be in the same study group during college.

Dr. Dolores had, in turn, been contacted by the police regarding a rather delicate matter involving an uncommunicative and withdrawn teenage girl stuck in the middle of a highly complex situation.

"She told me to tell you 'hi', by the way. You do remember Dr. Dolores, don't you, Isabelle?" Dr Banner asked without pausing for an answer. "Anyway, she contacted me, because this situation reminded her of another time, another patient. Years ago, we worked together to help provide a much needed change of scenery for another Washington based teenage girl that had gotten herself into a bad and VERY complex situation… A supremely talented young woman, by the way, who since then has taken steps to deal with her issues and is showing great potential to turn her life around. I believe you know who I'm talking about, don't you? "

Bella felt a strange sense of emptiness descending over her. "I do," she answered simply. He was talking about five years ago, when Bella, herself, had been the teenager stuck in a bad situation. Dr. Dolores had been the expert witness testifying in court on her behalf.

When she didn't say anything else, Dr. Banner continued, "Carmen says the police think they are dealing with a sexual assault case, possibly rape, possibly incest even." He pasued for a s ecoond to let his words sink in, then he went on explaining, "The victim isn't talking and therefore they don't know what, exactly, happened to her, or who's responsible for it."

"You mentioned she is deaf, so I take it she communicates through sign language? I assume that's why you're calling me, right?" Bella asked. She knew a bit of sign language, she even had a few Advanced ASL classes on her resume, a fact her boss, of course, was well aware of.

"Yes, deaf since birth," Banner answered. "I've been told she uses a mixture of lip-reading and sign language to communicate. She can even use her voice to some extent, but prefers not to. Right now however, she isn't communicating at all."

"And you think I can help… how? " She had a feeling she knew the answer already. He wanted her to go to Seattle and meet the girl in question to see if there was anything they could do to help. Perhaps he wanted her to evaluate if his treatment facility could be a good fit for this girl, or perhaps he wanted Bella to assist Carmen when speaking to the girl, or something like that. She knew sign language and was currently in the area, it made sense. "I mean, I'm not a therapist. I'm a student, working on getting my license."

"You're a sponsor and a trusted and important team member here at the 'Meadow'. I know you take your responsibilities seriously. I wouldn't have phoned you, if I didn't think you could be useful in this situation." Dr Banner said calmly.

"Please, hear me out, okay? They can only keep the child in hospital for another four, or five days, before they'll have to let her return to her family. They need someone that can get the girl to talk. Your specialty, Isabelle. You're a good sponsor, a good listener. You make hers feel comfortable and at ease around you."

"Surely, if they get an interpreter-…"

"They have already tried that approach," he interrupted her. "They even tried bringing in her favorite teacher from school to talk to her, but the girl just doesn't want to open up. She's answered a handful of basic, yes and no questions, but other than that she isn't talking, or signing…. at all."

"What about social services? Since she's a minor, can't they do something to protect her? Like temporarily remove her from her family, until her home situation has been thoroughly investigated?"

"One would think so, yes. Apparently, they have had their eyes on this family for a while, but have nothing solid worked out as of yet. I don't have all the details, but there are special circumstances that makes this particularly complicated. With this recent development, a new caseworker has been appointed to look into the situation. He's going to need some time review the case, though. They've indicated that it will take longer than a few days for him to get on top of things and as I've told you, they can't hold her at the hospital for much longer… If social services don't act and if the girl doesn't speak up… it could all end in tragedy."

The line went silent for a beat. "You want me to go see her?" she asked.

"Yes. I would not have bothered you with this, if I didn't think you could make a difference for this girl. She's only fourteen years old, she's just a child and-…."

"Listen, I'm not sure this is such a good idea. My father is… his condition is not going to improve. He is dying. In fact, if it wasn't for the machine breathing for him, he'd already be gone. There are things I need to take care of, decisions to make and papers to sign…" she trailed off.

"I'm sorry to hear about your father."Dr. Banner said, softening his voice. "Obviously, family comes before everything else and nothing is as important as your own well-being. Isabelle, if you need someone to talk to... If you feel yourself slipping back into old patterns of thoughts, then-… "

"No, I'm fine" she interrupted him, somewhat brusquely. "I mean, thanks, but that's not the issue here. We were not that close; my father and I, not in recent years anyway. It's just hard to be back here, so close to my old stomping grounds after all this time, that's all."

"Okay, and you're sure that's all there is to it?" he sounded hesitant.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

The line went silent for a bit before he spoke again.

"I really do think this can be beneficial for you too, as a learning experience, but also as a mean to tackle any excess stress that might arise from being back on your old -what were the words you used?- stomping grounds," he pointed out calmly. "Also, it gives you something else to focus on for a while. Last time we spoke, when you called me to extend your leave of absence, you said to call you if any of our girls needed you. You even offered to participate in group-sessions through Skype calls. I got the impression that you wouldn't mind some distraction... that you perhaps needed it, even."

"That's not the same as-… Okay, you do have a point there. Doing nothing is slowly driving me insane," she admitted. "I'd forgotten how slowly time moves up here. It just rains all the time and there is nothing to do except think about the past and things…However, that doesn't mean I'm open to-…"

"Isabelle, this girl needs you. I know the situation is not ideal, but you know sign language and you're already in the area. If you agree to meet her, I'll make sure it counts toward your supervised field hours for your certification."

"She's a straight A student," he continued when Bella didn't speak up. "She goes to a 'normal' school with hearing kids. No drugs in her system. No signs of any underlying mental, or emotional disorders."

"Yeah?"

"She's a smart kid, that got into a bad situation and now, for some reason, she won't accept any outside help. If what they suspect happened is true, then this poor girl is dealing with the aftermath of a truly horrific experience. She needs someone to step in and protect her interests. I think, with your background, you'll be just what she needs."

He had a point. Of course he had a point, he was not only her boss, but a trained observer, a skilled therapist, a trusted colleague and friend of everyone, patients and staff, at the East Meadow. He always knew what he was talking about. Also, Bella felt she owed a debt to him and his staff who had helped her towards self-knowledge and inner peace. Perhaps now was the time to pay it forward.

"Alright, fine," she sighed. "I'm listening... What else do you know?" She pulled the car off the main road. A car horn blared behind her, but she ignored it.

"Not much… They found her walking along an empty road in the middle of the night, practically naked. When approached she ran towards the cliffs overlooking the ocean and perched herself on a ledge. She was in quite a state, both physically and mentally. It had been drizzling the whole night and the winds were ice cold. It took nearly two hours to coax her into a car and get her to the hospital. "

"I assume they had a rape kit exam done?"

"I assume so too. You'll have to ask the police chief to confirm that, though." There was a rustle of papers. "His name is Jason Jenks. I'll give you his number. Talk to him and he'll fill you in on the details. He'll be very accommodating. He'll need all the help he can get. "

"Have you already talked to him about me? I mean, have you told him about my background? Does he know I have a 'connection' to the Seattle area?"

"I didn't have to, he already seemed to know…"

"What do you mean? What exactly did he say?"

"Uhm… Apparently, Jenks worked alongside your father before his retirement. They are old colleagues."

"What… so he's from around here?"

"Err… did I not mention that Chief Jenks' district is actually that of your old hometown, Forks? My bad. I meant to make that clear from the beginning."

"No, you very deliberately left that tiny little detail out!' She wanted to call him out on it, but her mind was busy freaking out over this latest piece of information.

"Don't worry, the girl isn't in Forks right now. I know you do not want to go there. I wouldn't ask that of you," he quickly added as if he knew what I was thinking.

"Say something Isabelle, are you still there?"

"I'm here," she managed to force out through clenched teeth.

"According to Chief Jenks you have been spotted in, or around, the hospital … what's the name of the hospital your father's admitted to? Olympic-.. something?"

"It's the Olympic Memorial Hospital in Port Angeles," she filled in, mind reeling with conflicting thoughts. "Port Angeles is the neighboring town of Forks. I ran into an old high school acquaintance the other day. I guess the word is out about me being back, visiting my father. "

"Is this a problem? I only told Jenks your name, and that you are currently visiting a relative living in the area, that is all. He asked if you were related to the a Renee Higginbotham. When I could not, or rather choose not, to answer that question, he told me about how he knew your father. That is the extent of our conversation."

"Oh… okay."

"So will you give him a call, if I leave you his number? He really needs help with this. He really needs an outsider's perspective."

"He knows who I am and he still thinks this is a good idea?"

"Yes. All that matters here is that you are fluent in sign language and that you're in the right field of work and come with good recommendations. Just talk to him."

"Fine, I will," she gave in, surprising absolutely no one.

Who was she kidding? Of course, she couldn't just turn her back on that fourteen year old girl. She knew it and Dr. Banner knew it.

"I'll give him a call. I'm not promising anything beyond that, though."

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	13. Chapter 13

_**AN: I know you're all eager to know more about Bella's past and the case with the abandoned baby. Two more chapters (this one included) set in the present, then it's back to the past again. It will go back and forth like this for a bit until the past catches up with the present... Fireworks, remember?!  
**_

.

 **-=[ Isabelle Higginbotham, 22 y.o, the present ]=-**

 **.**

 **13.**

.

Dr. Banner had been wrong about police Chief Jason Jenks and his willingness to share or discuss any of the finer details with Bella – trying to get answers out of him was like pulling teeth. He wasn't particular accommodating. Not over the phone anyway. He did, however, suggest a meet-up, so that they could talk face to face. Something Bella, of course, had no choice, but to agree to.

Bella was first to show up for their meeting, but she figured it was simply a case of her being a bit early and the chief running a little late.

Since their meeting point was in the hospital cafeteria, she decided to order herself a cup of caramel latte while she waited. Nothing like a little caffeine in the morning to get our day started…

She picked a seat at one of the window tables with an undisturbed view of the entrance.

However, her rear had barely touched the chair, when a male voice behind her made her literally jump in her seat and spill her coffee.

Where the hell did he come from? It wasn't Jenks, but it was a cop, a blonde one, with a badge clipped to his belt and a shoulder holster visible beneath an open black raincoat.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized and handed her a napkin from the table.

"Mike Newton," she addressed the guy, not quite believing her bad luck. "Are you stalking me?"

"Ah, so you did see me the other day?" he laughed and pulled up a chair. "I was wondering…. I meant to say hello, but you just disappeared and I was running late for something anyways, so I couldn't stick around to look for you."

"You're a cop?" she managed to ask, pushing back the urge to run out of the cafeteria and not look back.

"Don't sound so shocked. I know I could never quite measure up to your grades in school, but I'm not a complete idiot. It's legit; I have a diploma and everything. I'm still a rookie, of course, seeing as I've only been working for a few months."

"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way…. " She tried a smile.

Mike was a nuisance, but he wouldn't cause a scene, or say anything too outrageously stupid to her face… she hoped.

"It's just…. I never would have guessed."

The hair on her arms was still prickling and her heart was hammering just as hard now as it had been a minute ago, she tried to draw a breath and calm herself.

"I mean, I thought you were all set to take over the family business."

"Yeah, I was, but then I found myself in the middle of a… shall we call it a life altering event? By pure coincidence, I was the first person to arrive at the crime sce-… err… Nevermind, I'm sure you already know what I'm talking about. What I'm trying to say is that it was one of those altering events that make you look at the world a bit differently..."

"Newton's Outfitters is still in the family, though," he continued, when Bella didn't say anything."My wife runs the store," he smiled, holding up his hand to show her the wedding band on his ring finger. "I'm a happily married man these days."

"Eh…congratulations," Bella said as she used the last of the napkins to clean her hands while plotting her escape. Next he was gonna talk about babies and she didn't want to have to listen to that.

"Thanks, but enough about me, Arizona. I heard about your dad. I mean we all heard. I hope he'll pull through. If there is anything you need, please let me know."

"Privacy," she answered him sincerely, searching his eyes to see if he understood what she was saying. "I don't want to be hounded by the local press for coming back here, if you know what I mean? I realize it's probably too late to ask you not to say anything to anyone, but please… the fewer that knows the better."

"Fair enough," he nodded. "I think we can keep your visit out of the paper. The ole' gazette isn't what it used to be… It's mostly filled with ads and family announcements these days. Zero sports coverage! Can you imagine that?"

"Oh, really? That sounds… depressing," she said, silently cheering at these news. "Another thing Mike, tell me why you're here. Did you set this whole thing up?"

"Set what up? What do you mean?" He seemed genuinely confused.

"Where is Chief Jenks? I was supposed to meet the police chief."

"Ah, the Chief got called into an emergency court hearing. You know how it is. Anyway, I volunteered to come here in his place. He said he was meeting an Isabelle Higginbotham, from Phoenix Arizona, I figured it had to be you."

"Alright." It did sound plausible. "How did you figure that though?"

"Come on, Higginbotham AND Arizona? Not everyone would draw the connection, but we used to be friends, you know."

Friends? Hardly… Inwardly she was rolling her eyes, but outwardly she simply nodded. She accepted his explanation, for now anyway.

"So Mike, time to get down to business, tell me about this girl I'm here to meet! Why is there so much secrecy surrounding her? What's going on? "

"I will tell you everything I know, but not here. It's too public… Would you be comfortable with continue this discussion in my car? "

.

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	14. Chapter 14

_**AN: You guys don't think very highly of Mike, do you? Wonder why =) She's (mostly) safe in his car though, no worries…**_

 _ **Trigger warning for this chapter...**_ _ **Sexual assault is hinted at but not described.**_  
 _ **Past Teen pregnancy mentioned but not detailed**_  
 _ **A miscarriage is discussed as well.** _

.

 **-=[ Isabelle Higginbotham, the present ]=-**

 **14.**

"Wait, did you say La Push?"

"Yeah, the family owns a saw mill farm, just outside the border of the Quileute Reservation, next to the national park. You wouldn't know the place, unless your friends on the rez brought you there back in the days... but never mind," Newton trailed off, when he saw the frown on Bella's face.

"Mike, I don't think I can do this. I'll help you find someone else, but-…"

"There is no time for that. You know sign language and you're already here. The chief has gone through your credentials and stuff… and it all checks out. "

"I'm not actually licensed to do this sort of thing yet… And also, La Push, Mike! La Push! I don't want to ever have to set foot back in either Forks or La Push ever again," she blurted, trying to block out the panic that was rising in her chest. "Being here, in Port Angeles, is bad enough."

"I understand that, but please, the girl is right here at the moment, in this very hospital. When you saw me in the corridor the other day, I was on my way to see her. I think it's fate that brought us to the same place at the same time. You're meant to help me—to help us- with this. Can't you see it?"

"A heart attack brought me here, Mike. And, if I do this, it wouldn't be to help you out. I'd be doing it solely for the girl."

"Yes, of course," he said, moving his hand to bring something out from his coat pocket. "Here, take a look at this. I brought a photo of her."

Bella couldn't stop herself from looking. Her eyes were immediately drawn to it like a magnet. The girl was pretty, very pretty; with auburn curls and sapphire blue eyes. She looked like the typical teenager that she was. There was no smile on her face, but she didn't seem miserable either. She did, however, look vaguely familiar—perhaps she was a face from the past...

"Do I know her? What's her name?" Bella asked, feeling herself being drawn in against her will.

"Yeah, you DO know her," Mike told her almost reluctantly. "It's Bree. Her name's Bree Tanner."

"Bree Tanner?" Bella was suddenly glad she had agreed to follow Mike to his car. The decibel level of her voice rose with every word she spoke it seemed. "It's the Tanner girl? Are you kidding me, Mike?!"

"Yes, it's the Tanner girl. Do I look like I'm kidding? This is no joking matter," he pointed out.

Bella glared at him, but then turned her gaze back at the photo.

Bree Tanner. So this was what Bree Tanner looked like today, at age fourteen. Sometimes she'd wondered what had become of her - another life he had touched, another path she had changed.

There was a dog pictured in the photo with Bree. The girl hugging it to her chest and there was no mistaking the warmth in that embrace. A child and her beloved pet… an innocent, sweet-faced, fourteen year old teenager, before disaster struck.

"There is more," Mike spoke up. "I've been authorized to tell you something that you cannot repeat to anyone. We want to keep this on the down low, as the girl is still in school and should be protected from evil tongues and nasty bullies"

"What is it, Mike? Just tell me what you came here to say."

"Alright, there is no easy way to say this, so I'm just gonna come right out with it.… The thing is, we know that Bree Tanner was pregnant," he revealed in a quiet, gravelly voice.

"And we know that she suffered a miscarriage sometime between last Saturday and the day before yesterday, when she was found walking on that road in the middle of the night. She had lost a lot of blood and her hormone levels indicated there had been a pregnancy. That's how this whole thing started to unravel…"

"Oh, my God," Bella felt her eyes go wide and her hand went to her mouth.

After taking a few moments to collect herself, she was finally able to say, "I used to know this girl back from when she lived with reverend Weber and his wife. I baby sat her from time to time. You know this, right?"

"I thought that might have been the case, yes," he nodded. "Can you see now, how delicate this situation is? She's been back living with her biological family for a couple of years now, but we know very little about her home situation."

Bella shook her head, still in shock. "You and me both went to school with her brothers."

"We did, yes. I still see them from time to time," he said, putting the photograph back his pocket. "Say, you'll agree to help her. If we can't get her to talk, we'll have no choice, but to allow her father to take her back home with him."

"Mike, you've got to take her away from here! She'll have no life if she stays… words about this will get out, words always get out, everyone will know and say all sorts of nasty things behind her back … rumors spread like wildfire in small town, everyone knows that."

"Is that a yes?" he asked ignoring her last comments.

"This is all kinds of fucked up, you realize that, right?"

"Is that a yes?" he repeated again. "Are you going to help us? Are you going to help Bree?"

Bella counted to ten silently in her head. "Yes, Mike. It is a yes"

.

.

 _ **AN: Teen Bella in the next chapter and it's a longer chapter one.**_


	15. Chapter 15

.

 **-=[The past - Isabella Swan, 17 y.o,]=-**

 **15.**

 **.**

 **Yet another nightmare…**

.

 _She could hardly breathe,_ _even the slightest movement, made everything_ _worse._

 _The_ _pain was constant now_ , _strong and overpowering._

 _She was on the ground withering in agony…. And she was wet, soaked in sweat that was seemingly flowing from every pore in her body._

 _With every choked breath more fluids seemed to gush out of her and into her clothes._

 _And she smelled funny too. It was nauseating._

 _She pulled at her clothes, and managed to get_ _her hooded sweater off_ _… moved on to push her sweaters down her hips, but then the pain…. the pain in her stomach just wouldn't let up… The force of the pressure was paralyzing._

 _Somewhere in the back of her brain, over the noise of her own sobbing, she became aware of new sounds; steps… someone running towards her._

 _But then there was blood… lots of blood, all over the place…. and everything went black._

.

...

.

"Thanks again for this, Angela," Bella told the brunette in the driver's seat as the car approached the street where Charlie Swan's tired, two up two down house was located.

Her father had been pretty good about remembering what time to pick her up after school. However, given how easily distracted he was, it didn't come as a huge surprise that he would mess it up every now and then. He'd pulled a couple of no-shows already. The first two times it had happened, Dr Cullen had been there to save his ass (the female Dr, Cullen, Esme). This time, however, Charlie wasn't as lucky.

Needless to say, Bella would use this as 'ammunition' against him in her campaign to get herself a car of her own. So far, Charlie had been completely unreasonable on that front. Then again, it was only Bella's third week in school, so it was still early days…

"I was going this way anyway, so it was nothing," Angela said practically bouncing in her seat as she spoke. She was acting as if chauffeuring Bella around was a great honor or something.

"You live down by the Elk Creek, right? Bella questioned.

She couldn't say she knew Angela Weber all that well. They had a couple of classes together, Spanish and Trig. The girl seemed nice enough, a bit naïve perhaps, but at least she was not a complete hussy like so many of the other girls at school.

"Yep, I do live down by the creek. We're practically neighbors."

Eh, no…To say that they were neighbors was s bit of an exaggeration, as it must be a good seven or eight kilometers distance between their respective houses. However, Bella chose not to comment on that. If the girl didn't mind chauffeuring the new girl around, then who was Bella to complain?

Even though she had only talked to Angela for a grand total of ten minutes, she got the impression that the girl, perhaps, struggled a bit socially at school.

She wasn't a loner or anything, she had her own click of friends, but you could tell just by talking to her that she was the kind of person that rarely ever got any invites to parties, or get-togethers. The reason behind this was, undoubtedly, that Angela just so happened to be the not-so rebellious daughter of the town's reverend.

"Speaking of neighbors," the girl continued, as Bella's home came into full view. "That right there is where the Clearwaters live, correct?"

"Yeah," Bella responded, absentmindedly, while scanning the street for any familiar faces.

Sue Clearwater and her two teenagers, Leah and Seth, were indeed occupying the house opposite to Charlie's. As per usual, there was a group of boys playing basketball on their driveway. No sight of anyone else though…

"Why don't you ask Leah if you can carpool with her?" Angela suggested. "She's got her own car now and she's easy to get along with. I'm sure she'll be happy to give you a ride in exchange for some gas money."

"I'm not so sure about that, it's a bit awkward at the moment… and well-…" Bella frowned. She should have just kept her mouth shut… "It's just awkward. Let's leave it at that."

"Awkward? Why?" Angela asked, because of course, she wasn't just gonna drop it… "Is it because her mom has the hots for your dad?" she wiggled her eyebrows as she pulled the car to a stop and cut the engine.

"There is that," Bella snorted. "But also, Leah used to be best buddies with my friend Jake… but they had a falling out earlier this year and now things are a bit strained between them. Puts me in a weird position, you know…"

Crap, she fell into the trap of over-explaining things again…

"Oh, so it's true then? Jacob Black is your boyfriend?" Angela remarked, eying Bella curiously.

"He's not, " Bella rolled her eyes. "We do hang out after school sometimes. Our dads are old friends, so I know him from way back, when we were kids and I used to come and stay with my dad for a couple of weeks every summer."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I hadn't actually seen Jake since I was seven, but still…It made things easier when I first got here, having at least one familiar face around. He's NOT my boyfriend though. I don't like him like that."

"Does HE know that? He's sort of going around telling people you two are dating and he's being all smug about it too, seeing as you are an older and more experienced chick." The last part was said, in a near-perfect imitation of a teenage boy, squeaky voice and all.

"No…He's not. Is he?" Bella asked, to which Angela responded, 'Fraid so.'

Bella suppressed a groan. "Is it like all over school or something?"

"Nah, I don't think so. I only heard about it because I was at the diner last Saturday, at the same time as Jake was there with his friends. He didn't say your name, but there aren't that many new girls in town… so it was pretty obvious who he was talking about…"

"I guess I'm gonna have to have a word with him about it, the next time I see him."

"So, there's no truth to it, then?"

"Well, he does get to hang out with an 'older chick'. I am almost two years older than he is and we do go out on dates, sort of….So technically, he's not lying, but that's not the same as being boyfriend and girlfriend…"

"What do you mean 'sort of'? You sort of date him, but he's not your boyfriend?"

"Yeah, something like that. I guess you could say I use him as a mean to get out of the house. Charlie works weird hours and when he's home he isn't particularly talkative… It gets suffocating at times when it's just silence everywhere and no one to talk to. Jake knows that's all it is, though."

"You know, if you ever need someone else to talk-…" Angela started saying, but Bella cut her off.

"Jake's dad and my dad are tight, they've been friends forever, so Jake has Charlie's stamp of approval by default."

"I guess that's convenient. I've got friends like that too – preapproved simply because of who their parents are. By the way, do you always call your father Charlie?"

"It's his name," Bella shrugged. "But no, not always. If I need, like money or attention or something, I call him dad. It usually does the trick. Generally speaking, people overuse certain words so much they become meaningless. It's better to save them for when they really count..."

"Oh, okay… cool," Angela gave a nervous chuckle, indicating that she didn't agree, but that she wasn't going to argue. Instead, she said, "Hey, I just realized, both our dads are sort of town authority figures, wouldn't you agree?"

Bella said nothing, but that didn't discourage Angela from continuing. "We probably have more things in common than you'd think. I mean, in terms of what we can and cannot do without it reflecting poorly on our fathers seeing as they have a reputation to uphold and…yada, yada, yada…" She rolled her eyes as if to indicate how ridiculous she that sentiment was.

"Well, I just got here...so I wouldn't know," Bella shrugged."Never lived in a small town before. I'm still figuring things out."

"Yeah, of course. Listen, we should stick together. I'm pretty sure your dad likes me, that I'm in his good book, so to speak. I've lived here all my life so he definitely knows who I am. Actually, I interviewed him for the school paper last year. I compared him to Magnum, sort of, in the piece I wrote about him, because of the mustache and all and-…"

"Wait, Magnum, as in that ancient TV show with that guy…. what's his name… Selleck?!" Bella burst out laughing.

"Well, yeah and I think your dad took it as a compliment. So, if you ever need an excuse to get out of the house, you can always say you're heading out to meet up with me. Just tell him you're working on an article for the school paper with me – 'Forks from a newcomer's perspective', or something like that… Just let me know beforehand and I'll cover for you, no problems," she offered, generously.

"Thanks, Angie… I'll remember that."

Silence fell in the car for a moment before Angela blew out a breath of air, and said, "If you ever need someone to talk to, just let me know. I could come by your house, or we could meet up somewhere else. I'm sure Jake's a good friend, but he's, you know…a guy."

"So I've noticed," Bella muttered. "Again, thanks for the offer, but I'm not looking for a new best friend at the moment. There was just too much backstabbing, bitching and jealousy going on in my old school and I'm not sure this place is much better. I just can't deal with that kind of crap right now." She grimaced, realizing she was just digging a bigger hole for herself. "Eh, sorry. I'm sure you're not like that, but… you know…."

Before she could say anything else, Angela had waved it off, "All right, forget about friends for now, how about we become allies instead and work from there?"

"Allies…?"

"Allies, as in I'll let you know if anyone talks shit about you behind your back," Angela explained as if this was a perfectly normal arrangement."And vice versa, of course…."

"Allies," Bella said, repeating it quietly to herself…"I think I could manage an ally... maybe…"

"Excellent!" It looked like she was about to say something else, but suddenly she raised a hand instead and started waving energetically. "I believe your father has spotted us."

Bella glanced in the direction of the house and sure enough there he was, looking at them through the kitchen window.

"Good, so he's alive then. Guess he just conveniently 'forgot' what time he was supposed to pick me up… again…"

"Maybe something happened at work. He is the chief after all and-…."

"Don't make excuses for him. This is ridiculous. He thinks he knows best, but the reality is that I need my own car, if I'm gonna survive living here." She paused to let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm not some thirteen year old kid anymore. I am perfectly capable of driving myself to and from school. In fact, I'm an excellent driver… He's just being stubborn."

"Have you ever driven on winter roads though? Because -…"

"I know, you get ice and slush up here when it gets colder, but it's nowhere near winter yet. I can hitch a ride with someone else, on the days it gets really bad," Bella interrupted.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw her father open the front door.

"He just doesn't want to spend his hard earned money on buying his teenage daughter a car, because he thinks girls are lousy drivers and that he'll be stuck with paying for costly repairs. He has no faith in me what so ever…"

Her father was standing on the porch now, waving at her to come inside. She pretended she hadn't seen him. Charlie could wait all afternoon for all she cared.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" she turned her full attention back on Angela.

"Eh, sure ask away..."

"What do you guys do for cash around here?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm out of funds and as we've already established my dad is a cheap bastard... I've been thinking about getting a job, but no one is hiring in this small shitho-.. sorry. It's just this place is tiny and there doesn't seem to be any openings. Aren't employers nationwide supposed to love teenage workers?"

"Oh, I've heard Newton's are looking for someone. Maybe you coul-…"

"Yeah, Mike's already offered to put in a good word for me. But that guy is giving me the creeps, so I rather not work alongside with him, if that can be avoided. That's like the last resort."

"Right, gotya. Mike is… special. That's for sure." Angela replied with an emphasis on the word 'special'.

"I know right ," Bella smiled as they shared a moment of an agreement.

"If you ask me, it seems like he's overcompensating for something. Maybe he has a small d-…"

"Uhm Bella, I think your dad is trying to get your attention."

"Yeah, whatever… He can wait," Bella shook her head. "So, you don't know any other place that might be hiring? I'm too klutzy to be a waitress or bus tables, but I've done paper runs and worked at an ice-cream parlor before, so it's not like I lack work experience."

"No, sorry. I'll keep my ears open though," Angela promised. "In the meantime, I suppose you could do what I do and babysit a few nights a month. The pay isn't the best, but at least it's something. I mean, if you like kids? I should have asked that first perhaps, because it's not gonna work if you don't like 'em…" she rambled.

"Eh, I don't HATE them," Bella answered slowly, as she mulled it over in her mind. It certainly wasn't something she'd considered she'd be interested in doing, but what the heck? She needed the money.

"I have no experience with babies though, so it gotta be older children. I'm fine with walking, talking, out of diapers, able to have a full conversation, school kids."

"Well, there are plenty of those around town, so that shouldn't be a problem. I'll ask mom if she can help set something up for you. She's involved in all the church playgroups and after-school activities. That's how I get most of my babysitting gigs."

"Oh, okay. That's cool. Thanks!"

Bella noted, absentmindedly, that Charlie was on the driveway now. Impatient fucker…

"We should exchange numbers. If you give me yours, I'll pass it along to my mom. If it's alright with you, I mean?"

"Not really necessary, is it?" Bella forced out a laugh. "Everyone and their grandma know how to get in touch with Charlie. Our house phone is always ringing."

"You don't have a cell phone?"

"I do, but I'm in the middle of changing phone plan and… well… "

How do you say in a nice way that you don't like giving out your number to people you hardly know?

Angela, the saint she was, sorta didn't need to be told anything to understand what the hesitation was about.

"Hey, forget I asked," she hurried to say. "We're allies, not friends. There's a difference, I get it."

"Thanks Angie… for understanding and for the ride and you know everything…. You seem like a genuinely nice person. In fact, I think you're the first genuine person I've met since I got here. I'm sure we'll get along swimmingly... I just need some time to adjust to this shitho-… sorry... This place is just different from anything I've ever known," She finished lamely.

Angela snorted out a laugh, her lips quirking up. "You can call it a shithole, that's probably a pretty accurate description. I've lived here all my life, so I don't have anything to compare it with. Also, I can only imagine what it's like to have to start over at a new school where you don't know anyone and just have to wing it."

"It's not fun, I can tell you that much," Bella responded with a sigh. "I never wanted to come here, I never signed up for this… but it's not like my opinion mattered, so…. here I am."

A rapid knock on the passenger side window interrupted them.

"Uh-oh … It's the chief and he doesn't look happy," Angela said, putting on an overly wide smile.

And sure enough, Charlie had advanced up to the car now, and was, indeed, knocking on the window.

"You see what I have to put up with?" Bella rolled her eyes, as she reached for the door handle. "Anyway, see you tomorrow at school."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," Angela giggled.

.

…

.

"Was that the Weber girl?" Charlie asked, following Bella as she stomped inside the house.

"Bells?"

"Bella?"

"Isabella Marie Swan, look at me, when I'm talking to you."

"Yes, that was Angela. You forgot to pick me up… AGAIN." Turning around she narrowed her eyes and looked at him accusingly. "So excuse me, if I'm a bit upset with you at the moment."

Charlie looked like he wanted to deny it, but Bella continued, "I'm allowed to be upset, aren't I?"

"Alright, sorry about not being there on time. I was just getting ready to go pick you up, when the car rolled up."

"Too little, too late, Charlie. School ended 40 minutes ago!" she grumbled, dumping her school bag on the floor.

"I know that. It's been a hectic day," he sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but it will be in the paper tomorrow anyway so… a man got killed in an accident with a timber truck this afternoon. "

"Oh, well that's awful, especially for the guy's family, but you could at least have sent me a text message, telling me you were running late. I don't think that is asking too much."

Her dad sighed again, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "You're right I should have found a way to let you know. I'm sorry. I'm not used to this… having someone else to consider."

"Well, you know my opinion on all this. The solution is simple - I need my own car, then you wouldn't have to adjust your day around my schedule."

"In your dreams kiddo." Charlie shook his head, and then checked the time on the watch on his wrist. "Listen Bells, I need to get back to the station. We're a man short, so I have to pull a double shift tonight, I'm afraid."

"Oh, I guess I'll see at breakfast tomorrow then."

"Not so fast," he moved to block the stairs, so that she couldn't escape to her room just yet. "I'm not leaving you alone in the house for an entire evening, not after what happened last time."

Not this again, Bella sighed. "Come on, it was just a little weed. I've already promised I'll never do it again while I'm under your roof. What else do you want from me?"

"I want to see a change, I want you to act more responsible and stop putting your health in danger just to spite me."

"When have I ever done anything like that? It's a proven fact that marijuana has a lot of therapeutic effects, but whatever…. "

"You should know better than to mix prescription medications with recreational drugs."

"Yeah, okay, point taken.,," she huffed. "Not gonna happen again. Glad we had this chat, but you can go to work now. I'll be perfectly fine here on my own." She tried to brush past him, but he wouldn't budge.

"Isabella…. "

"No! I'm not spending the night at the police station again. No way! I'd die from boredom."

"I was just about to call Sue," he pointing with his chin towards the house phone mounted on the wall near the kitchen."I'm sure she won't mind having you come over for dinner and staying for a bit," he added.

Bella rolled her eyes. Of course Sue wouldn't mind. The woman was working on charming her way into Charlie Swans life, after all, and would bend herself over backwards to get his only child to like her.

"NO!" She felt like a two year old stomping her feet and pitching a fit, but she had to draw the line somewhere.

"Yes."

"I really, REALLY, don't want to do this. I don't want to go over there. It will be beyond awkward. I'm not comfortable around strangers, you know this, dad. You pay for my therapy sessions. Please don't do this!"

"Male strangers. The only guy you'll run into over there is Seth and he is a fourteen year old kid and you've already met him a handful of times so he's hardly a stranger. Nice try."

"Don't I have any say in the matter?! Shouldn't MY opinion count for something?"

"The way I see it, your only other option is Dr. Cullen. Would you rather have me call Esme and see if you can go over to her place? There are no guarantees she's even home tonight, she might be working, but I can ask, if that's what you'd like."

"Over my dead body," she revoltingly spat back. "It was bad enough that half the school saw me getting a ride home with her twice the other week. He kids were like right there. I don't want to hang out with my psychiatrist's family, that's just weird."

"See, Sue is out best bet." Charlie stroked his mustache, looking thoughtful. "You won't have to stay overnight. Just go over there for a bit - eat with them, do your homework, watch some TV, or read a book, or something. I'll tell her it's okay to send you home again at nine thirty and I'll call and check on you at ten sharp. Come on Bella, that's my best offer."

She groaned. "If I do this, dad," she started, deciding to try and bargain with him. "I want a car for my birthday."

"I know you want your own car, but you can't expect me to buy you one just like that. First, I want to see you prove that you can be a responsible and reliable person. After that stunt you pulled with the weed, I'm leaning towards waiting till next year."

"Gee, thanks Charlie. And you're wondering why I don't want to be here?!" She crossed her arms, jutting her chin out to challenge him.

"I already KNOW why you don't want to be here, he responded slowly. "Believe me I do, but these are the cards we've been dealt. We both need to suck it up and make it work."

He gave her one last dejected look, before moving over to pick up the phone.

Bella didn't stay to listen to the call. She hesitated for a moment before taking flight, running past him to the sanctuary of her bedroom.

.

…

.

"Hi!"

The voice was friendly and familiar, yet Bella couldn't help but flinch anyway.

She closed her eyes for a second and breathed in the pine-and-cut grass-smell, felt the sun warm on her face.

"Hi, Angela!" she said and then, when her heart rate had slowed down a bit again, she opened her eyes again, patting on the wooden bench beside her. "Have a seat…"

"Sorry, did I scare you?" the girl asked, sitting down as instructed.

"Yeah, kind of, but it's alright. I just didn't see you coming, is all," Bella answered, trying to keep her voice light and casual.

"Um, so, do you always sit out here during lunch?"

"I have been so far, yes," she nodded.

Angela seemed intrigued by this. "Is it a deliberate choice you've made, or…is it because you don't have anywhere to sit?" she asked. "The intricate dynamics of who sits where in the cafeteria at lunch time is silly, if you ask me."

"It is, isn't it?" Bella rolled her eyes. "I've gotten several invites, actually. This—me sitting alone out here- is entirely voluntarily, I can assure you."

"Okay, good. Just checking... In a month or two, it's not gonna be as nice and sunny as it is today, you know. "

"I know. I'll figure something out."

"We always have room for one more at my table. You're more than welcome to join us."

"Thank you Angela. I might hold you to that offer."

Unsure what else to say, Bella picked up the apple she had discarded earlier after only a few bites. It was turning brown already.

"Eww, you're not going to eat that, are you?" Angela made a face.

"I was, but it doesn't look to tasty, so I guess not," Bella shrugged. "I've got a bar of Snickers in my bag, I think…" she got up on her feet, preparing to leave.

"Hey, wait. I almost forgot why I came over," Angela suddenly exclaimed. "I spoke to mom last night. You know, about how you'd like to try your hand at babysitting."

"Yeah? What did she say?"

"Are you free on Thursday after school?"

"I might be, why? She got me a job already?"

"Well, not exactly. She said she'd like to meet you in person."

"Oh…. Should I be scared? " Bella asked, trying to smile, though she suspected it looked more like a grimace.

"Nah, she's like mothers are most; motherly and protective and annoyingly cheery…"

Bella was definitely not smiling now, but Angela kept on talking, so chances were she had not noticed the change in Bella's mood.

"Mom wants you to come over for dinner. If she likes you, she'll give you an opportunity to prove yourself. It will be sort of like a test run. She has her book club on Thursdays and I've got choir practice. I think she's planning on asking you to stay and watch my brothers after dinner, while she leaves for an hour or two. What do you think? You think you can manage that?"

Bella was still hung up on thoughts of her own mother and the silence stretched a second too long.

"Bella?"

"Yeah. Sorry. I'm listening."

"So?"

"So what?"

"Thursday, will you come for dinner? And are you okay with staying and watching my brothers afterwards? Mom will be at her friend's place, two houses down the road. It should be okay, right?"

"Oh, well… that depends," Bella replied slowly. "I mean, you haven't even told me how many brothers you have... Or how old they are…"

"Sorry. You're right." Angela let out a small giggle. "There are only two of them. The oldest, Gabe, just turned ten and the baby in the bunch, Adam, is just a year younger. They can be a bit of a handful at times, always trying to outdo each other, but they are good kids at heart….I think you'll figure out how to handle them just fine."

"If I wanna do this, I'm gonna have to, aren't I?"

"That's the spirit," Angela agreed.

"You only have two siblings? I could have sworn, you came from a larger family…" Bella commented, trying to remember what she'd heard about the Webers.

"Nope, it's just me and the two rascals. Honestly, there are times when it feels like our house is full of kids though… We're a crisis placement home for children who need short-term placement. It comes with dad's job. He wants to help everyone he can, however he can."

"Oh, okay… I see."

"At the moment we have a deaf girl staying with us. She's waiting for a permanent placement, but she's been us for two years now, I think. She's a great kid, a bit guarded at times, but one of the smartest kids I've ever met. Mom's been taking crash courses in sign language to be able to communicate better with her," Angela rambled on. "Oh, but don't worry about her. Mom will take Bree- that's the girl's name- with her to her book club. She usually does."

"This is gonna sound like me sucking up here, but…. I actually know some sign language." Bella blurted, without giving it much though. It wasn't a secret or anything.

"You do?"

"Yeah, my grandma Marie lost her hearing to scarlet fever as a kid. She's gone now, she died when I was six, but she taught me some sign language when I was a wee baby. Then, as I got older, I made a friend in school who was communicating through sign language. I wouldn't say I'm fluent or anything, but I know enough to hold up a basic conversation."

"That's cool," Angela said, making the sign for 'cool' at the same time. "I know a bit too, obviously. Hey, you should make sure to tell mom about this. She'll be impressed for sure."

Just then, a group of students poured through the doors facing the parking lot.

Bella groaned inwardly as she recognized the Cullen twins. Yeah, that's right; she'd learned, during her first Biology class, that Edward the asshole Cullen had a twin sister named Alice.

Alice was quite possibly the most intense person Bella had ever met. The girl held a strong resemblance to a Duracell bunny on speed. She never stopped talking. Like, ever. She kept chasing Bella around, striking up conversations all the damn time. Not even Mike Newton was that persistent.

During the very first Biology class they'd shared, Alice had gotten up from her front row seat and plopped herself down in the empty back row seat next to Bella. Then, after introducing herself as Alice Cullen, she'd complimented Bella on the shoes she was wearing (a pair of old-school black Vans bought at a thrift store). Apparently, in Alice book, that was all it took to become lab partners AND friends for life...

Honestly, Bella wasn't sure what her deal was, she just knew that Alice Cullen seemed to have made it her life's mission to never run out of things to say. She was always very friendly though. A stark contrast to her brother Edward, who couldn't stop himself from being an asshole whenever the chance presented itself, it seemed.

Some family dinners they must have over at the Cullen household…. Emmett seemed pretty normal though, but then again, she'd heard he was adopted, so…

"Angela, I've got a question for you," Bella said to the girl by her side without taking her eyes of Alice and Edward. "Seeing as you've lived here all your life, I'm going to assume you know everything about everyone here at school, right?"

"Ah, yeah…. that's one of the few perks of living in a small town, I guess," Angela shrugged. "What do you wanna know?"

Of course, Alice had spotted them now and gave Bella a little wave. This, had the two boys in her company, Edward and some blonde, skinny guy, turning around to check who she was interacting with.

Bella could tell the minute Edward's eyes landed on her, as his face shriveled into one giant frown. Subtle, he was not.

"Do you ever hang out with the Cullens, like outside of school? You and Alice must bump into one another at times, right?"

"If you're asking if we go to the same parties and stuff like that then the answer is no. We don't exactly move in the same circles. "

"But you guys talk? You're not mortal enemies or anything….?"

"No, we talk. Just not about anything important or relevant-… Wait," she cut herself and looked Bella directly. "Why do you ask? What's this about? Did someone say something?"

"It shouldn't be anyone else's business when you have a beef with someone, but I did hear you and Alice aren't on good terms and I was just wondering what that was about," Bella shrugged.

"Did Alice say that? I didn't know you even knew her, let alone-… Never mind. It's not true anyway. I don't have a beef with her, we're just not close friends anymore, that's all. Not that we ever were THAT close to begin with, but… "

"I heard another person got between you."

"Something like that," Angela hummed. "We were like twelve at the time though. They dated for a whole five minutes before he moved on to someone else…"

"But he was yours first. Alice is in my Biology class," Bella explained. "We're lab partners and she-… Let's just say she talks…. a LOT."

"When you said you'd had other lunch invites…. You meant Alice, didn't you?"

"Well, yes. Alice has suggested I should join her for lunch sometime, but her brother actually beat her to it … by two whole days… he suggested it on my very first day here."

"Who? Emmett?!" Angela asked, her eyes widening comically. "He approached you on your first day? What did you do to get him to notice you? Flash him your boobs?"

"No, I've met that Hale chick. She is just as scary as everyone says she is," Bella laughed. "Emmett seems completely smitten with her though. I think maybe it was the fact that I didn't hit on him that did it. I was being my snarky self and he seemed to like my sense of humor, or something. Anyway, I'm trying to figure out if the Cullens are just an unusually friendly bunch of people, or if there are ulterior motives involved. I mean, why do they pay me this much interest? Why the curious stares and the sideway glances?"

"Who's staring? Is it Edward?" Angela inquired. "Because if it is, then be careful! He's a looker, yes, but he goes through girls like toilet paper."

"Really?" Bella was genuinely surprised to hear this. The guy seemed like such a hermit, when he wasn't busy being an asshole. "I thought Edward was a germaphobe, that he doesn't like other people touching him, or getting too close to him or whatever. How does someone like that go through girls like toilet paper? "

"Germaphobe? Who told you that?"

"It was Emmett, actually. And Eddie was right there when he said it, and he didn't object much, so I thought the big guy was telling the truth. Was he lying?"

"Em's a bit of a prankster. It was probably an inside joke or something. And WOW, Edward lets you call him Eddie - to his face?"

"Honestly, I haven't spoken more than a handful of words to him." Bella shook her head, impatiently. "So, you're saying he isn't a germaphobe?"

"No, he probably is, to some extent. I believe it goes in cycles. The thing about Edward Cullen is that he has been battling OCD and anxiety issues since he was five or- … well, since forever really... Not his fault, obviously, and last I heard, he was getting treatment for it."

"Oh… that explains a lot a."

"I know. Seriously, Edward has both the looks and the smarts – he's supposedly a near-prodigy on the piano, headed for some fancy music school like Juilliard in a few years time, they say. He's an intelligent guy, funny too, actually… but he can be such a jerk sometimes. When things don't go exactly how he wants them to go...whether right or wrong...he just flips. It happens once or twice every school year. If his parents were not who they are, he would have been expelled a long time ago. Just stay away from him. He's not worth it…"

"Gee, thanks for the warning, but he's not really my type," Bella replied with snort "Actually, Edward is mostly just scowling or sneering at me. Alice is the one giving me sideway glances… "

"Oh…"

"Yeah, that's why I brought this up in the first place. It's kind of odd, really… like do you know what her deal is? She's not… gay, is she? Because she's cornered me a handful of times now outside of class, trying to chat me up and… Do I have to have the 'talk' with her? Let her down easy-…"

Bella was cut short when Angela burst out laughing.

"I just like to know what I'm dealing with here," Bella added, confused by her reaction.

"Alice is Alice…She's not gay," Angela said, after finally managing to collect herself enough to speak again. "I mean, not to my knowledge anyway. It's perfectly alright if she is, but I can't say I've ever gotten that vibe from her. She has just always been very talkative and very hyper. That's just how she is…"

"What does she want with me, though?"Bella whined. "Why does she act like we're bff's all of a sudden? I don't want a bff . Besides, I thought her and the Ice Queen were besties, or whatever…."

"The Ice Queen? You mean Rosie?"

"If that's Rosalie Hale then yes, that's who I mean."

"Well, Rosie is a senior now. Maybe Alice has already started looking for someone to fill the spot as her new best friend, for when Rosie is off to college next year. Maybe she likes your 'don't-give-a-damn attitude.' You sort of share that trait with Rosalie, actually."

"Whatever," Bella sighed. "I'm not interested in making new friends…. I wish she would leave me alone."

"I wouldn't push her away though, if I were you."Angela told her with a wistful, almost nostalgic voice. "She's a good person to have in your corner. Sitting at her table in the cafeteria, means you'll be seen sitting with Rosalie and Emmett too, because they all sit together, the Cullens. And trust me, it will be good for your status around this place to be seen with them. Rose and Em are gonna be this year's 'it-couple'. They are gonna be virtually untouchable now that they're seniors. They'll walk the halls of Forks High School like gods."

"That kind of talk, gives me a headache," Bella groaned, rubbing her temples.

"I know, right!" Angela snorted in agreement. "There are so many fakes and phonies around this place. High school shouldn't be a popularity contest. "

"Amen to that."

.

…

.


	16. Chapter 16

_**AN: Time for a little Q &A session… I love reading the questions and speculations you guys put in the reviews. I always try to leave little clues for you guys to find in the chapters I write, but it's hard to know which ones you actually spot and which ones are too vague (or too sloppy written on my part) and therefore go by unnoticed. Naturally, some questions have been asked more than once. So here some general answers to a few of the more common ones.**_

 _ **Q: Will the 'big reveal' come soon?  
A: I tend to write long stories. I won't make you wait till the very end to find out who the mother of that baby is, I promise. That being said though, we still have quite a bit to go before it will be spelled out in writing, whoshe is. You guys will know (or guess) it beforehand though. If you don't know it already, that is. It's not going to be one big reveal. Who the mother is, isn't the big mystery. How and why it happened, is the big question. And that will probably not be answered or make sense until the very end.**_

 _ **Q: Is nn the mother?**_  
 _ **A: I've heard many interesting theories here. The right name has been mentioned among the guesses in the reviews. I'm not going to confirm anything at this point =)**_

 _ **Q: Is the story with the baby in the dumpster based on or inspired by a real life vent (or movie/book)?**_  
 _ **A: The idea to write this came from a movie I saw (maybe three, or so, years ago), which was based on a true story. Since then the plot line has evolved and changed a bit in my head, but still there are some influences/similarities there still. There is also another movie that I've taken some influences form and a TV series. I'll name them all eventually, but not right now as they could spoil some plot twists to come.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **...**_

.

 **-=[ Isabelle Higginbotham, 22 y.o. ]=-**

 **17.**

Bella went to bed with a thousand thoughts swirling chaotically in her mind. She'd had turned in early to accommodate her 6:30 am alarm setting. However, it came as little surprise, when insomnia came for her nightly visit.

Bella tossed and turned most of the night before finally conceding and shutting her alarm off just after three. The plan had been to squeeze in an early morning jogging session, before heading over to the hospital to visit her father. Ha, so not happening… Besides, it was probably raining anyway…

Sometime in the wee hours of the morning, she managed to doze off into a shallow unconsciousness for a while again. It didn't last long, though. She was woken up by the persistent ringing of her phone, making her bolt upwards

It was the police chief, Jason Jenks, calling to set up another meeting.

He was polite and apologetic, but quite firm."I hope you're free this morning. Everything's been set up," he informed her. "We meet, we talk. Then, I'll take you to meet the girl. You get twenty minutes with her. That ought to be enough for you to form your own opinion on the situation."

"Uhm okay," she agreed after thinking it over for a moment. It wasn't like sleeping in was an option anymore. "I can be ready in half an hour."

"Same place as yesterday." With that he ended the call, leaving no room for a response.

There was no backing out now. The ball was put in motion.

She was going to meet Bree Tanner.

.

…

.

For the second day in a row, Bella arrived to the hospital cafeteria expecting to find the police chief waiting for her. However, just like yesterday she was the first one there.

She took a seat at the same table as the day before. Five minutes passed, then ten… She must have spaced out while she waited. Clearly, she had been spending entirely too much time in the hospital recently, because the plastic chair felt almost comfortable in a comforting, familiar sort of way. Or maybe it was the lack of sleep that did it.

She had no idea how much time had passed before she was snapped out of her daze. Suddenly, Mike was standing in front of her, with phone pressed to his ear and a tall, slender man in his company.

"Officer Newton, Mike," she nodded and rose to her feet.

"Arizona," he responded, pocketing his phone. "This is my boss, Chief Jenks," he explained unnecessarily, while motioning to the man next to him.

"Hello, I'm Jason Jenks, Chief of police," the man introduced himself, holding out his hand.

His handshake was firm and heavy.

"Isabelle Higginbotham." She made sure to meet his eyes fully as she waited for him to release her hand. He didn't, instead he held on.

"I'm sorry to hear about your father. "

She couldn't help but flinch, despite her best intentions not to show any emotions. A long moment of silence followed.

"Give him our well wishes," the man added when she didn't say anything.

"I will," she managed to respond.

"You may not remember me, but I worked alongside with Charlie for a few years before he retired," Jenks said, finally letting go of her hand.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I-…."

"That's okay," he interrupted her. "I was transferred here from Tahoma, but I still haven't been here long enough to be considered a 'local' yet."

His tone was convincingly cheerful, but she thought she detected something else beneath it.

"Speaking of which…. " he continued. "I hear this is the first time you've been back in quite a while. Is Port A anything like you remembered it to be? You've gotta come by Forks, if you haven't already, that is? We're very proud of our new police station. I can offer you a tour, if you like?"

She let the offer pass with a shrug and a "I haven't yet, but maybe later before I leave," all the while thinking 'HELL NO!'

"Any chances you can be convinced to move back here for good?" Newton asked in a speculative tone of voice.

"None whatsoever. My life is in Phoenix now." Her reply came out a little more curtly than she'd intended.

"Yes, of course," the chief said in the soothing tone of voice one would use with a petulant child. "I'm sure certain places around here hold memories that that are less than pleasant for you...Like I said, I know your father and I've been around long enough to know what happened all those years ago… I can't say blame you for leaving and starting over elsewhere. That's perfectly understandable"

Bella had to hold back a scoff. She didn't want sympathy or pity or any of that crap. "Listen, I did not come here to reconnect with my roots or take any trips down the memory lane. I'd like to keep the past in the past."

"Okay." He held his hands up in a gesture of resignation."Let's get back to the matter at hand, shall we?"

"How about we go see the Tanner girl, now," Mike suggested, checking the time on his watch.

"Not so fast, Newton," Jenks interrupted him. "First things first, I'm sure Ms. Higginbotham has questions. Ask away, don't be shy."

"Actually, yes, there are a few things that I'd like to-…." she began to reply, only to trail off as an elderly couple came walking slowly into the hospital cafeteria, heading for a table further towards the back.

The place felt so dead and quiet this early in the day, that it was easy to forget they were actually in the middle of a very public place. She waited until the duo had shuffled passed them, before she spoke again. "I know this is not the appropriate setting for any in depth discussions, but…."

"What do you want to know?"

"Tell me about how she was found. I know the location, down where County Road 563 meets the Coastal beach road. Mike pointed it out on a map for me, but I haven't heard exactly what happened. How it went down…"

"How it went down?"Chief Jenks repeated her words with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah, well that's something we're still trying to determine. We responded to a call at 2:32 in the morning regarding a disturbance on County Road 563 involving a minor, acting distraught and confused."

"Sam Uley, made the call, " Mike cut in. "You remember Sam, right?"

She shivered involuntarily at the memories the name provoked. Yes, she remembered Sam; a Quileute friend of the Black's from La Push. Huge asshole and a major bully.

"He's a reformed family man these days," Mike said, as if he knew exactly what she had been thinking. "Forklift driver at the timber transport terminal. He was on his way home after a night shift when he saw something on the road. At first he thought it was a wounded animal, but as he got closer he realized it was a child; a girl, wearing very little clothes, just some flimsy T-shirt and underwear, but no shoes. "

Jenks nodded. "Dispatch gave us the information that the caller had reported concerns about an individual walking in the middle of the road. A car with two officers was sent out to look into it. By the time they arrived to the area the girl was no longer on the road, but on the cliffs overlooking the water."

"Uley stopped the car and tried to speak to her. The girl went hysterical and perched herself on a very steep narrow ledge," Mike explained.

"Hysterical, how?"

"She was erratic and aggressive in her behavior, waving her arms around like a crazed maniac. Apparently, the only time she calmed down somewhat was when Ms. Young got there."

"Ms. Young?"

"Emily Young. Sam's girlfriend." Again it was Mike that offered the explanation. "She's one of the teachers at the Forks high and knows a bit of sign language. Sam thought he recognized Bree as one of Emily's students, so when he called for help, he didn't just call the police, he called his girlfriend too."

"The police arrived first … unfortunately," Jenks commented.

"Unfortunately?"

"Two male officers in full uniform. I suppose they made her feel threatened. You're the one studying to become a psychiatrist; you probably understand this better than me."

"I'm training to become a counselor," she corrected him. "I still don't have the whole picture, but it sounds like some sort of post traumatic shock reaction to me."

Their retelling of the events conjured up a chilling image of a frightened, disoriented girl, stumbling about in the dark, cold night- an image hard to shake for someone that had once been in that very same situation.

.

..

.


	17. Chapter 17

_**AN: I decided to shuffle the order of the chapters a bit, to be able to post this now, rather than in one or two weeks time.**_

 _ **Beware of the time jump! We're once more revisiting the morning after the party at the Cullen's place.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **.**_

 **-=[ Isabella Swan, 17 y.o]=-**

.

17.

.

 _Previously:_

" _I'm training to become a counselor," she corrected him. "I still don't have the whole picture, but it sounds like some sort of post traumatic shock reaction to me."_

 _It all conjured up a chilling image of a frightened, disoriented_ _girl, stumbling about in_ _the dark, cold night- an image hard to shake for someone that had once been in that very same situation._

.

…

.

 _She had blood on her hands._

 _Everywhere she looked there was blood… and death._

 _She_ _didn't have a chance to react_ _before it was far too late_ _,_ _she didn't get to-…_

 _Suddenly, someone was shouting at her to calm the fuck down._

 _Someone shook her, someone-…_

 _._

The beginnings of a scream swelled in her throat, that's when she woke. The dream instantly vanished as she jolted back intothe real world.

Bella tried to open her eyes and was surprised at the amount of energy it took for such a simple task. After a few tries she was able to blink slowly. Everything was slightly out of focus and her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton.

Groggily and disoriented, she took in her surroundings; not quite sure where she was and why she was on a couch and not a bed.

Then it came back to her in a powerful flash… She remembered the garden, waking up in the hammock and green eyes staring down at her - eyes that spoke of disgust and anger.

She'd seen hatred in his eyes. Edward hated her.

Alice had been there too, she reminded herself… Alice didn't hate her…. Not yet, anyway….

She vaguely remembered Alice leading her inside, helping her to lie down on a couch somewhere in the house.

Well, obviously she was still at the Cullen's place then, seeing as the room looked exactly like Esme's upstairs study-slash-den.

Alice had promised she'd be back in a sec and then she'd skipped out of the room to go fetch painkillers and hot water bottles. Only she never did come back and now-…

Oh, of course…. Bella groaned inwardly as she noticed the glass of water and the pills on the table next to the couch. She must have fallen asleep again. She had promised herself she'd only close her eyes for a minute. A catnap was all she had wanted, but her body, apparently, had other ideas.

She didn't know how long she'd slept; minutes, hours, longer? Was it morning still? There was quite a lot of natural light in the room and she could hear faint voices filtering through the partially closed door, along with the distant sound of a vacuum cleaner on another floor. So it was most likely mid-day already… mid-day… MID-FREAKIN-DAY!

Shit, shit, shit!

She had to get going. Couldn't stay. Couldn't face-… well, okay she wasn't keen on facing anyone right now, but she definitely didn't want to face more Cullens...

The hatred in Edward's eyes was still fresh on her mind.

..

...

.

"All done," Rosalie said handing the mop back to the Alice. "I cleaned every inch of this floor."

Alice merely shook her head. "You aren't done yet."

"What do you mean?" Rosalie asked. "I scrubbed this entire area twice! You can't find one spot I've missed!"

"This is just one level, one third of the house," Alice said, handing her the mop back, pointing her towards where the staircase was located. "Up you go… You know what, just be thankful, Emmett didn't volunteer you to tackle the bathrooms with him."

"You're such a tyrant, Al."

"You don't want my mom to know what happened to her favorite cashmere shawl, now do you?"

"No, you wouldn't," Rosalie gasped.

"Don't' tempt me. Honestly though, we don't have time to stand around arguing about this. Mom and dad could be pulling into the driveway any second." Alice gave her friend a little shove to get going. "Just head upstairs and check on th-…" she trailed of mid sentence, noticing the person standing at the bottom of the staircase.

"Bella! You're awake."

"Uhm, hi…" Bella said meekly, making it sound almost like a question.

This wouldn't do. She had to get control of herself. Clearing her throat she tried again. "You guys haven't seen my phone anywhere, have you?" she asked, letting her eyes dart around as if searching for it. "I think-… No, I know I've misplaced it."

"No, sorry." Alice replied, tilting her head to the side with a thoughtful expression. "I'll keep an eye out for it. I bet it's somewhere with the rest of your cloth-.." she started saying, but cut herself short when spotted a picture frame hanging crookedly on the wall facing the front door. "Oh man…I can't believe I almost missed that!" she whined, as she rushed over to fix the problem. "I know I say this every time, but this time I mean it. I'm not throwing a party this big again, waaaay to much stress."

"Great party, though. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. I've heard some partied harder than others and is paying for it this morning…" Rosalie sniggered, coming up to stand beside Bella. "Did they really find you passed out naked in Esme's rose garden, Bella?"

"What-the-fu-..? No!" she shook her head, only to regret it a seconds later, as even the slightest movement caused her head to pound and bile to rapidly rise from her stomach to her throat.

It wasn't just her head that felt as though it had been whacked with a hammer, her legs felt oddly weak under her. Actually, her entire body felt like one big bruise, like she'd gone through the tumble-dry cycle on a clothes dryer.

Rosalie was wrong; not everyone had enjoyed themselves last night. From what little Bella could recall, it had most definitely not been a fun evening. She desperately tried to think back but her thoughts were a jumbled mess in her head. Pain… she remembered pain. She was pretty sure she had been doubling over in agony at some point and she thought she remembered blood…

 _Blood getting everywhere, ruining her clothes…_

At that thought, she was hit with a sudden stab of a revulsion mixed with a bizarre desire to cry. She let out a strangled sound, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Hey, you okay?" Alice asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Fine.." Bella gasped out. She wasn't, but she would be, if she could just get a moment to clear her head. She just wanted to get home as soon as possible.

"Don't listen to Ro, she knows that's not what happened."

"Okay, okay," Rosalie held her hands up. "My bad. You weren't naked and you weren't passed out - just peacefully sleeping the booze off, in a remote corner of the garden."

"You know what Rose, "Alice butted in again. "I know exactly where you woke up this morning, so I would shut up and mop the floors, if I were you!" She handed the cleaning mop back into her friend's arms, pointing her towards the staircase.

"Umpf," Rosalie protested. "Can I just say one thing, Bella. It's kind of hilarious that out of all closets in this house to raid, out of all clothes to nick, you picked Edward's. I don't know how drunk you were, or why you thought you needed a new change of clothes…but I applaud you for it. You went to his room, you touched his clothes… Poor Eddie will probably have to burn his entire wardrobe now! Great stunt! A+!"

"Whatever…I don't remember doing it, so I don't deserve any credit for it," Bella muttered, gripping the banister so hard her knuckles turned white.

She still wore them… his clothes. Sadly, she couldn't smell his sweet, earthy scent on them anymore. The reeking smell of blood was truly too stro-… No! She drew in a deep breath, refusing to let her thoughts go there again.

"No, not 'whatever'," Alice objected. "I feel like a really shitty friend for not noticing you were THAT out of it last night. I know you think you can take care of yourself, but-…"

"I can take care of myself." This conversation had dragged on long enough and Bella just wanted to be on her way already.

"Yeah, you really took good care of yourself last night. Bella, it's a slight miracle you weren't attacked by wild animals or drunkards - especially if it turns out, you were out there all night and not just a few hours in the morning. Just promise me you'll come to me next time you feel like-…"

"You were kind of busy. I didn't want to ruin your night and… and…" She ran out of arguments pretty darn quick, because of how little she actually remembered about it all. Truth be told, last night was just a big black hole...

"And nothing! If you're feeling down, or anxious, or whatever, don't keep it to yourself. Find me, make me listen, even if you have to turn me upside down and shake me," Alice said in a serious tone of voice. "I say this to my stubborn, know-it-all brother all the time - don't' try and self-medicate your issues away, that's about as effective as putting a BandAid on a broken arm."

"Alcohol poisoning can kill you in a matter of a few hours," Rosalie supplied.

"Yeah," Alice nodded. "The same can be said for a bad acid or meth trip."

"Well, thanks for caring, but that's not what happened. I don't do acid or meth. I'm not a complete idiot. And I'm not dead, as you can see." Bella took a step to the side, as if preparing to walk off. "I'm tired, that's all. I just wanna get home and sleep."

"Wait," Alice reached out to stop her. "You're still looking rather pale. Maybe you should try and eat something before you do anything too strenuous?"

"No, I'm fine-.." Bella started to say, at the same time as Rosalie stepped in.

"Give it a rest, Al. Food is probably the last thing she wants or needs."

"If you're sure, B… I'd hate to find you passed out again."

"Really, I'm sure," Bella said, fighting to hold back her frustration.

"Thank you for letting me come inside and rest for a bit." She put on a smile, even though she was sure it looked forced. "The nausea is almost completely gone now. Though I think I'll wait a few more hours before I eat. Just to be on the safe side…."

"Did you at least take the Advil I left you on the table?".

"Yes, I did. Thank you dr. Cullen."Another forced smile. "Please. I just wanna get home, Alice. I wanna shower and change into my own clothes and sleep in my own bed. We can talk more at school on Monday."

"Hey, shouldn't Jasper be back any minute now?" Rosalie asked.

"Yeah, good thinking," Alice said, checking the time on her watch. "I sent him to the store to get air freshener. I'm sure he can give you a ride home, as soon as he gets her…. shouldn't be more than ten minutes."

"Tempting," Bella said with a sigh. And it was… tempting. However, something wasn't right, she didn't know what it was but something in the back of her mind was telling her over and over to get home as fast as she could. She absolutely couldn't stay, no matter what.

"I don't feel like waiting though. I think I'm better off just… walking."

She'd been fighting against her instinct to flee from the moment she'd woken up. From what though, she did not know. Nothing she remembered of last night made any sense.

"Fresh air is supposed to be good for you," Rosalie agreed with a shrug, before adding, "Speaking of fresh air and things that are good for you… I need a break. Too much bleach and cleaning solutions can turn your head into mush. I'm gonna go look for my Emmett." With that she scurried out of the room, dropping the mop behind her as she went.

"Wait Ro-…" Alice started to protest, but then got sidetracked as she spotted movement, further down the hall. "Hey, I saw that!" she shouted, marching off towards whatever it was she'd seen.

"Where the fuck have you been and what the fuck did you do with mom's aloe plants?" she screeched, causing Bella to wince at the sheer volume of her voice. "I told you to do something to make them look less broken and floppy, but now they look like someone's been walking all over them!"

Bella didn't linger to hear the response. On shaky legs she took a step forward. Then another. Then another, until she was out the door.

.

…

.

 _ **AN: If Bella seems confused... she is. And it's not a drug- or alcohol-related thing**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**AN: Here's more Bella. Still confused and stumbling in the 'dark'. This is where the pond from the title comes into play.**_

.

-=[ The past - Isabella Swan, 17 y.o ]=-

18.

.

Taking this walk had been the right decision.

The outside wind and cold air felt refreshing, as Bella made her way along the pine tree lined road into town.

All she wanted was to get home, where she could shower and pass out on her bed. She needed sleep desperately…

As she reached the small hill, where she was supposed to leave the main road and continue onto the old service road through the tightly packed woods and shrubs, she hesitated for a split second.

The choice was easy; of course she was going to take the off-road shortcut as she was in no shape to walk the much longer 'regular' paved road home. However, in doing so, she was steering straight into a muddy mess that she was just going to have to conquer in order to get home.

The past two weeks of gloomy days and rainy weather had turned the ground conditions almost bog-like in places. She knew this because she'd been stumbling down this very path not that long ago...

Whoa! The sudden feeling of déjà vu was so strong that it actually tasted like bile in her mouth. She had been here last night, stumbling about in the dark…

She suddenly remembered, with startling clarity, that this was where she had lost her phone. She had been fumbling for it and…and… it had been too dark. She had been surrounded by utter complete darkness, when she had dropped it.

She had looked for it, she'd tried to feel around for it midst moss and roots and feathery ferns on the ground. She remembered having to stop though, when the pain got too bad.

Wait? Pain? What pain? Was this the same pain as the one that was bothering her now? She didn't know what was causing it, or where it originated from. It was just everywhere, her whole body was sore; her head, her back, her knees, her stomach…and… and…

She hadn't allowed herself to take stock of her situation fully before now….But God, yes, the area hurting the most was her stomach, or perhaps more precisely her lower regions. The pain was crippling, like period cramps on steroids. Was that where the blood had come from?

Cue that woozy feeling again.

Not for the first time she wondered what the heck had gone down the night before. This was so strange… Something was wrong here, but every time she tried to think about it, she felt like she might pass out from a combination of panic, fear and pain...

However, passing out now was not an option - not until she was safe, not until she was home. She didn't have much strength left in her legs, but sheer force of will had her pushing forward. One tiny step after another…

As the service road terminated and the clearing, commonly used as a parking area by visiting tourists and hikers, came into view, she spotted not one, but three cars. The hiking season was still in full swing so finding cars in that spot almost expected. However, two of them looked like police cruisers, similar to the one her father drove – actually one of them looked exactly like her father's car.

Before Bella had a chance to figure out what this could mean, someone came walking towards her. It was a cop -one that she recognized as her father's deputy, Waylon Forge.

Oh great….

"You have to turn around, miss! This area is closed down. It's a police matter," deputy Forge informed her in an odd sounding voice.

She realized the reason he sounded off was because he was serious. Waylon was never serious, always taking everything lightly. Always laughing, sarcastic as fuck.

"Hi, deputy!" she gave him a little wave, plastering a fake smile on her face.

He stopped dead in his tracks. "Isabella? Is that you?"

"Yes. I was just on my way home. What's going on here?"

"Uhm, police business, I can't say much, but we're looking for….err, something."

"Okay, I'm just gonna…." She took a step forward, but he shook his head.

"I'm sorry Isabella, but I'm not supposed to let anyone without a badge past this point. Chief Swan's orders."

Just then, a second person stepped into the clearing. This was a civilian, not a cop.

"Perhaps I can help?" he suggested walking up to them "I can walk her around the taped-off area, it's no trouble. I know what's off limits and what's not."

Bella felt her whole body go stiff, she felt like recoiling, running away, hiding…. The guy before them was someone she usually tried to stay clear of. This was none other than Jake's friend, Sam Uley, from La Push.

While Bella found Uley to be a bit of a douche in general, this strong reaction to his presence surprised her a little.

What was up with that? Had he been at the party last night? Or perhaps Leah had been there… She tried to remember, but … nothing came to mind. It did, however, distract her from her pain a bit, allowing her to stand up a little straighter.

"Hi, B!" Uley greeted her with a nod. "Just saw your dad," he motioned behind him. "He told me to turn around and leave the area, so that's what I'm doing. If you like, we can walk together… Everything's a bit wet and slippery today, but I know my way around here, I'll guide you." he held his hand out to Bella, as if to say 'after you'.

"Wait, I can't let you past-…" Deputy Forge started protesting, but was interrupted by Uley.

"Oh, that reminds me, Chief Swan wants you to radio back to the station," he cut in, gesticulating with his hands excessively as he spoke. "He has no cell phone reception it seems, or maybe it's your phone that is out of reach … Anyway, he couldn't get a hold of you, so he asked me to pass along the message that you need to get those forensics guys here ASAP. Apparently there is more DNA down by the fresh water pond than in the bottom of a teenage boy's laundry basket. Those were his exact words. He also said you'd know what to do."

This seemed jolt deputy Forge into action. "Heavens… " he muttered, as he brushed past Bella and took off running towards the cars.

"Remember, stay outside the taped off area!" he shouted over his shoulder, before slipping into the front seat of one of the parked police cruisers.

.

…

.

A tense few moments of silence followed.

It could have been her imagination, but Bella thought she heard a dog barking in the distance. No. There it was again. Definitely the sounds of a real life dog barking...

Why had the police taped off an area in the middle of the woods? Was it a hunting accident? Or some sort of wild-animal attack? No, that didn't explain all that talk of forensics and DNA-…

"Shall we?" Sam Uley nudged her shoulder, startling her out of her reverie.

"What?" The touch was brief, but still enough to raise red flags, and quite a few of them.

"Shall we get going?" he repeated, motioning for her to follow him, as he turned around preparing to head into the woods again.

"Yeah, alright," Bella agreed reluctantly, but didn't move a muscle. Her insides were recoiling by the very idea of going anywhere with this guy.

"What are you waiting for?" Uley reached out as if to touch her shoulder again. "Do I need to print and mail you a formal invitation?"

"No, a verbal one will do just fine." She ducked his hand and took off along the narrow walking trail he had first emerged from.

She told herself that nothing bad was going to happen… not in broad daylight… not when both her father and his deputy were within shouting distance.

Of course, the douche couldn't keep his mouth shut for very long. "So Swan, tell me, how are you feeling this morning?" he asked, from somewhere behind her.

Ignoring his question, she pushed forward. She could almost feel him breathing down her neck. He was too close for her liking. She didn't like it, but couldn't move any faster.

'Keep moving, don't fall! Keep moving, don't fall! Keep moving, don't fall!' she was chanting the mantra silently in her mind.

"I said, how are you?" he repeated, more forcefully this time. "Didn't expect to see you out and about today. Not after the night you had last night."

"Whatever… I'm fine," she finally answered, immediately loosing focus and almost stumbling over a root poking from the ground. "See…You're stressing me out. Just mind your own business!"

"Alright," he agreed flatly. "Tell you what, ask me instead. Ask how I'm doing," he instructed in a clipped tone of voice.

This had Bella turning her head to look at him over her shoulder. "What? I-...? "

"Why thank you for asking," he continued, not giving her a chance to interrupt. "If you must know I'm NOT fine. I'm f-ing FURIOUS, actually!"

"You are what?"She shied away from him, heart pounding

"FU-RI-OUS," he repeated. "Come on, you know what I'm talking about! What the HELL are you doing here?"

"Walking home…?"she said hesitantly.

"I can't believe the nerve of you!" he practically growled.

Bella couldn't breathe. She saw the arm coming for her, but she couldn't move. It grabbed her elbow forcefully, yanking her around to face him as he sneered. "Either you're a genius with acting skills beyond all of us, or you're just extremely stupid. I don't know which one it is yet."

Bella felt woozy, like she'd pass out any second. "I don't-…"

"You don't know what I'm talking about. Of course you don't." He started moving, dragging her with him. "Come on, let's go find your old man. That's why you're here, isn't it. To be seen and accounted for… That's clever. I'll give you that."

Bella wanted to dig her heels in and scream at him to stop, but nothing came out. It took all of her energy just to stay on her feet and keep up with him.

Panic invaded her mind as her eyes darted frantically, seeking some kind of escape route. She knew running in her staggered state was a non-option though.

Suddenly, he slowed down again. "Here they are now," he hissed, before breaking away from the trail, dragging her with him. "Put your game face on Swan, it's show time!"

They'd reached the second clearing; the one with the fern-dominated ground vegetation and the big fresh water pond.

The dog must be close by, Bella realized, as it started barking again, much louder than before. There were people there too; two police officers in uniform. The taller of the two was her father, Bella noted, absentmindedly.

What caught her attention was what they were looking at. They were inspecting something - a small mass of something on the ground by their feet. It almost looked like-…

Before she had a chance to finish that thought, Uley had stuck his fingers in his mouth, whistling loudly.

The response was instant. Her father straightened his back and turned to look towards the source of the sound.

"Bells? What are you doing here?"

Bella closed her eyes. When she opened them again, nothing had changed.

Blood and death… she saw blood and death… right there by the water's edge.

Her vision blurred… That woozy feeling was back again.

"Isabella?"

"No, no, no…" That was all she managed to say before she started slipping to the ground and the world was plunged into total darkness.

.

..

.

When Bella came to again, her father was leaning over her with a worried look on his face.

"Bells? Do you hear me?"

"Wh- what happened?" she croaked. Her throat felt about as dry as dry as sandpaper.

"I think you fainted," Charlie said, thrusting a plastic water bottle towards her.

She accepted it gratefully, taking a big gulp. Her hands were shaking so badly, half of it sloshed over her fingers and onto her clothes.

"Sorry," she apologized, not knowing why she felt she had to. "I'm such a klutz."

"You would have landed smack on the ground, if Uley hadn't been here to break your fall. He grabbed you right before you could hit your head on that rock there," her father pointed. She didn't bother to look.

Ugh, Sam Ulay… she'd forgotten about him.

"Where is he now?"

"Who? Ulay?"

She nodded.

"He's being escorted away from here as we speak," Charlie answered. "You guys shouldn't have been here."

"But I-…"

"Listen Isabella, I'm sorry you guys saw… well, THAT. Like I said, you weren't supposed to be here. No one, except the police are allowed here."

"Saw what exactly…? I mean, what was THAT?"

She braved a glance towards the water, only to realize a jacked had been draped over the small mass of… well, whatever it was she'd seen.

Even if she hadn't been able to get a good, clear look, she had an inkling… Somewhere in the back of her mind she already knew the answer.

 _Blood and death… She'd seen death…_

"This is serious a police matter. I can't tell you."

 _A life had ended here…_

The water bottle slipped out of her hand and dropped to the ground.

"Who died?" she asked making herself choke out the words as she wrapped her arms around her knees.

"How did you-…? No, never mind." Her father shook his head. "Don't ask me questions like that. I can't tell you. You know this."

"Please…"

"You'll have to wait, Bells. There's suppose to be a press conference around three o'clock. We can talk about it afterwards, okay?"

"Kay…" she mumbled, her mind still reeling. She was right, she knew she was right.

"Come on! Let's get you off the ground," her father suggested. "I have to stay here, but Forge can drive you home... or to the E.R, if that's where you need to go?"

"What?"

"You look like you're in pain. Your leg… did you twist it when you fell?"

She blinked up at him, shaking her head slightly. "No, daddy. I'm fine."

.

...

.

 _ **AN:/ Liar, Liar pant on fire!**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**AN: Loved reading all the theories in your reviews from the last two chapters. Several near correct guesses there (and a few wrong ones as well =)**_

 _ **There will be two chapters of older Bella, before go back in time again.**_

-=[ Isabelle Higginbotham, 22 y.o ]=-

19.

 _Previously:_

" _I'm training to become a counselor," she corrected him. "I still don't have the whole picture, but it sounds like some sort of post traumatic shock reaction to me."_

 _It all conjured up a chilling image of a frightened, disoriented_ _girl, stumbling about in_ _the dark, cold night- an image hard to shake for someone that had once been in that very same situation._

.

…..

.

"Hey there," Mike Newton said worriedly, reaching out to grab her arm. Bella hadn't realized she was swaying quite a bit.

"Do you need to sit down, Ms Higginbotham?" Police Chief Jenks pulled out a chair, which she rejected.

"Officer Newton said they was forced to sedate the Bree upon on admission to the hospital, is that correct?"Bella asked, hoping her voice didn't sound as tense as she felt.

"Yes, they had to sedate her in order to give her the medical attention she needed. She wasn't very cooperative - she still isn't," Jenks answered, then he went on explaining, "It took nearly two hours of futile pleading, begging and reasoning before Ms. Young finally managed to get the Tanner girl off the ledge and into the police car. By then she was suffering from hypothermia, with a body temperature, below 95 °F."

"Were there any visible wounds or injuries? I've been told she was bleeding," her eyes flickered between the two men, who both nodded.

"There were some cuts and bruises on her arms. Her feet were raw and full of scratches. She also had a minor gash on her forehead. Could be slip- and _fall-injuries, but we don't think so_ _,_ " Jenks answered. "The two main concerns, however, were her body temp and the bleeding."

"Vaginal bleeding?" she asked for clarification.

Once again they both nodded after exchanging a look with one another.

"Naturally, we worked this as a sexual assault case," Newton added. "And we still consider it a sexual assault case, but you should know that the physical exam showed no tearing, no abrasions, no bruising in the vaginal area and according to the analysis of the rape kit there was no semen or saliva present."

"What about the bruise marks on her arms? Are they consistent with a violent struggle? Did she _fight back against someone_ or something, or did she just put her arms in front of her face or body to protect herself?"

"Hard to say. There was no DNA evidence in the scrapings from under her fingernails, just dirt."

"That doesn't mean she wasn't assaulted though."

"No, of course not." Jenks agreed, taking over the conversation again "Furthermore, a blood test showed that her hormone levels were consistent with pregnancy. An ultrasound was preformed and it was concluded that she must have suffered a miscarriage. A very recent one, which would explain the bleeding and the false positive pregnancy test result."

"How far along was she?"

"The doc says somewhere between 11 and 16 weeks, but without the girl's cooperation there is no way of knowing for sure."

"Did someone take the time to sit down with her and explain all this to her properly? She's only fourteen…"

"Of course. The hospital has provided an ASL interpreter as well as a child behavioral therapist, both female. They've made several attempts to get through to her, with no result. Young Bree has pretty much shut down completely, so it's hard to tell how much she actually understands."

"What about her family? They have been informed about the pregnancy and miscarriage, correct?"

"Her father knows."

"Her father… Eleazar Tanner?" Bella pulled the name from the depths of her memory. "Will he be here when I visit his daughter?"

"Ah, no. We have informed him, the girl being a minor and all, but you likely won't see him here."

"Most likely?"

"He usually visits in the afternoon. We only allow supervised, pre-approved visits. That goes for anyone that wants to see her."

"Alright. What about the rest of the family? Her brothers? Do they visit? And how much do they know?"

Embry and Laurent… She remembered them from high school. Embry was her age and the younger of the two, while Laurent was not quite a full six months older (making them half brothers with different mothers).They had been TROUBLE with capital letters back then, constantly battling each other for supremacy. Never agreeing on anything. Never listening to anyone. Chances were not much had changed on that front.

"Honestly, I don't know what the brothers have been told and what they do, or do not, know. The father is the only one that we've approved for visits."

"Don't forget Emily," Newton cut in. "Sam's Emily has been visiting a couple of times. She was here yesterday with school assignments."

"Oh, okay. What about other relatives? Her mother's family…? Doesn't Bree have cousins in the area?"

The question was left hanging as they heard steps and a woman in pink scrubs entered the cafeteria, heading straight for the coffee section.

Silence settled for a brief moment, before Newton picked up the conversation again.

"No other relatives living around here anymore. You do know Bree's mother is deceased, right?"

"Yes, of course I know that, Mike. I was told the basics from Angela, after I first met Bree. She must have been what – five or six years old when her mother died, right?"

"Angela is reverend Weber's oldest daughter," Newton explained to his boss, before answering her question. "I believe Bree was six when she was first placed in foster care and perhaps seven and a half when she was moved to the Webers. Her father was serving a prison sentence at the time."

"I remember hearing about that too, yes," Bella nodded. "He was put away for something drug related, wasn't he?"

"Cannabinoids and methamphetamine, in quite large quantities. Tanner was convicted on counts of possession. However, they couldn't get 'intent to distribute' to stick and he was therefor also acquitted on the charge of aiding and abetting drug trafficking."

"So how long was Bree with the Webers, then? She must have lived with them for several years?"

"Yes, I'm sure you know there were plans for an adoption, but-…. "

"It fell through. I'm painfully familiar with this part of the story, thank you very much," she interrupted him, almost rudely, before she caught herself and added, "Please continue."

"Sorry, that was insensitive of me." Mike had the decency to look sheepish. "Bree was ten when her father was released. To everyone's surprise, he showed up at the Weber's one day to collect his daughter."

"And, no one had any objections?"

"He didn't get custody overnight," chief Jenks clarified. "Tanner was required to submit to mandatory drug testing and attend Narcotics Anonymous meetings over a lengthy period of time. I believe it was two years before the girl was allowed to live with him full time. Even now, years later, he still attends N.A. meetings."

"Social Services have done several assessments over the years, but apart from Tanners past drug habits, there has never been any concrete evidence that he is an unfit parent."

"But there have been suspicions?" Bella asked. "Don't bother answer that. I know how small towns work. No past sins are ever forgotten. There is no such thing as a reformed citizen or convict. There is no forgiveness, no rehabilitation... "

"I suppose you, if anyone, would know. Come on, I think it's time you meet Bree Tanner," Jenks motioned with his hands, as if saying let's get moving.


	20. Chapter 20

_**An: so this is the chapter in which we meet Bree Tanner.**_

.

…

.

 **-=[ Isabelle Higginbotham, 22 y.o. ]=-**

 **.**

 **20.**

.

"So, you don't know how long you had been walking?" Bella asked, spelling out the words withher hands.

"Was it hours?" she added, studying the girl in the hospital bed before her carefully.

Bree Tanner showed no outward sign of understanding any of the questions. Her eyes flicked around the room though, in a way that made Bella feel reasonably certain that the girl was picking up on just about everything happening around her. In fact, she got the impression nothing got past this girl.

If Bree was choosing not to speak, it wasn't because she didn't understand; it was because the questions touched on a subject she didn't want to discuss.

"You were quite far away from home," Bella continued. "Were you lost, or did you know where you were going?"

She used a combination of signing and spoken language, mostly for Officer Newton's benefit. While she didn't sign with the speed or ease of someone who practiced on a daily basis, she did have two years worth of advance ASL classes to fall back on. Signing felt familiar yet strange at the same time.

"Bree, officer Newton here, told me that your feet were scraped and battered from walking through harsh terrain. What happened to your shoes? Surely you must have had shoes on your feet when you left your house. Do you remember?"

She wasn't surprised when her questions went unanswered. Everything about the teenager before her, from her facial expression to her frail body, made it glaringly obvious that all was not well with this girl. It could be due to post traumatic stress, as well as a number of other issues, including acute catatonia.

"Why did you go out on the cliffs? Was it something Sam Ulay said, or did? Sam is the guy in the car that first spotted you and called the police. You remember him, right? Did he do something that scared you?"

Again, there was no reply. The girl's face remained impassive. The dreary pastel green hospital gown she wore in combination with the stark fluorescent overhead lighting made her look washed-out, almost ghost-like.

Bella decided to try a change in tactics, picking a safer topic. "I've heard your teacher, Ms Emily, came by yesterday with school assignments for you. She sounds nice. Do you like school?"

While she signed she took stock of the few personal items in the room; a couple of textbooks, an old beat up phone, a hairbrush and some hair care products, but nothing really that would make time pass faster.

"Better than this place, I bet?"

She made a big deal out of letting her eyes travel over the white washed walls, the ugly plastic chairs and the un-curtained, bare window.

"I know hospital stays can be utterly boring; with nothing to read, crappy WiFi and not nearly enough daytime soaps, reality TV shows or other distractions to get you through the day."

"Okay," Bree's right hand was suddenly moving. It was a small, barely there movement, but Bella had caught was the first answer she had gotten out of the girl, beyond her name and age.

"What's okay? Ms. Young and school? Or this place?" Bella signed.

"This room,… it's ugly, but okay." Bree's hands moved again. This time, there was less hesitation. "Miss E-m-m-y is okay too."

"There must be things you miss from home? Your own room, your own bed? Real, home cooked meals?" Bella kept her facial expression relaxed, though on the inside she was cheering.

"Not really."

"I sure miss my bedwheneverI'm not at home."

"I don't care about where I sleep, or what I eat, or how often I get to shower or watch TV. Those are just unimportant, stupid things,"the girl answered with a frown, pulling her legs up to her chest, burying her face against her knees.

She looked pitifully small and fragile, curled up on her side in the big bed; just a tangle of slender limbs and a mane of auburn curls.

Suddenly, she straightened herself up again. "I want my dog. My dog is the only thing I miss from home."

"You have a dog?" Bella asked, thankful to have an opening to keep the conversation going. "What kind of dog?"

"She's a W-h-i-p-p-e-t," Bree quickly spelled out the name of the breed letter by letter, waiting to see if Bella could keep up.

"That's cool," Bella smiled at the girl, trying to convey genuine interests."They are slim built and really, really fast, aren't they?"

"Yes and mine is the fastest and smartest dog in the whole world." Bree's chin angled stubbornly, as if she was expecting an argument. "Her name is W-h-i-p-p-y."

"I'm not a dog person, but Whippets are probably the most cat-like dogs I've ever met."

"Are you stupid?! They are nothing like cats," Bree signed with angry, lashing movements

Bella held her hands up. "I just meant that they are sleek and graceful looking, just like a panther, or a lion."

Then, as an idea struck her, she turned, seeking out Mike, who was leaning nonchalantly against the doorframe. "Hey, officer Newton, make yourself useful and go check what kind of policy they have on pets around this place."

He rolled his eyes like he thought she was an idiot. "It's a hospital. No pets allowed."

"That's not true. They allow service animals, don't they? I'm pretty sure other exceptions can be considered as well. Go check with one of the nurses, will you?"

With a sigh he pushed himself up to his full height, his back cracking as he did so. "I'm not supposed to leave you alone in here," he said, his eyes narrowing as he glanced over at Bree, who seemed to be following their conversation with interest.

"I'm hardly alone," Bella pointed out, with a nod of her head towards the door and the narrow window through which they could see police chief Jenks, pacing the hallway with his phone pressed to his ear.

"I can't…"

"You can and you will," she insisted. "Just let Jenks know where you're going and it'll be fine."

"Alright, " he finally relented, giving her a look that said 'don't screw this up'. "Please, both of you behave. I'll be right back."

The second the door clicked shut, Bree pushed herself upright in a surprisingly sprightly manner.

"Is it true? They'd let my dog in here?" she signed. It appeared as though her lip reading skills were quite good.

"Maybe…but it will require some paperwork. I think your dad needs to fill out some forms."

"Oh…" The girl went from looking hopeful to dejected in a matter of seconds.

"I can ask him for you, if you like," Bella suggested

"Never mind," Bree made a huffing sound. "He's not going to want to speak to you."

"I'm not a cop, you know that, right?"

The girl shook her head and folded her arms across her chest.

"Bree, if you don't wish to talk about what happened to you, then I can't force you to. And no one else can either. It's your choice and yours alone."

"Why are you here then?" she responded, lowering herself back down on the pillows again. "I know who you are. I remember you from back when I lived with the reverend W. and his family."

"That's right. I was the babysitter-…" Bella started signing, but the girl shook her head impatiently. She then went on snapped her fingers to get Bella too pay attention again.

"You used to come by the house and act all nice, bring me books and sneak me candy when I wasn't allowed to have it. I had no idea you weren't right in the head. I've heard about the unspeakable things you did. What kind of person would hur-.. "

"That's enough," Bella grabbed Bree's hands to stop her before the girl could finish her sentence. Silencing someone against their will was generally considered bad practice, but….but it couldn't be helped. The girl was talking about things she knew nothing about.

"I know you're only reciting what you've been told, but remember, there is always more than one side to every story," Bella told her in a calm manner, before letting go of the girl's wrists.

Bree looked both smug and frightened at the same time, like she knew her comments had hit hard, but now she was not quite sure what the reaction would be.

"The truth can be bent and twisted," Bella signed. "That's why you need speak up and tell YOUR truth. You're the only person who really knows what your truth is. If someone hurt you, don't let them keep hurting you. You're a minor and there are laws to protect you. The police are on your side, they can help you."

"Like they helped you?" Bree responded, with a quirked eyebrow

"My situation was different from the one you're facing. You haven't done anything wrong. Me on the other hand… I had threats of criminal or juvenile charges hanging over my head."

Bree gave a whatever kind of shrug, "Still don't get why you're here."

"Here's the thing, since you're not talking, they don't know what happened to you, or WHO happened to you," Bella explained slowly, seeking eye contact, but didn't receive it. "They think someone purposely hurt you, but they don't know who that someone is. They just want to make sure it's safe to send you back home to your dad and your brothers again. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Bree gave yet another nonchalant shrug, before signing something super quick, that looked along the line of 'deaf not stupid'.

"Someone has to make sure you know and understand what's going on around you at the moment. The police and the doctors are concerned about your wellbeing and safety."

"My safety is my concern, no-one else's." Her chin jutted out stubbornly.

"That's not how it works. You're still a child. Do you want to go continue living with your dad? Is that what you want? What you REALLY want?"

"I want you to fuck off you stupid shit face bitch." Apparently, Bree knew some foul language, as she provided a verbal response to go along with what her hands were signing. Her speaking voice was nasal, but sufficiently clear to be understood.

"Excuse me?" Bella signed, making sure her indignation showed in her facial expression as well has her hand gestures. "Is this what I get for being honest with you?"

"Fine," the girl rolled her eyes in typical teenage fashion. "You want honesty, I'll be honest with you. Yes, I want to go home. I need to get home and take care of my dog. No one is looking after her when I'm not home. They forget she's even there. I think they forget I'm around too sometimes, which is fine by me. I'm perfectly safe at home, I promise. Just get me out of here."

Bella looked at her long and hard. She was looking so long that Bree started to fidget under her gaze.

Finally, she gave the girl a nod. "I'll be frank with you, no doctor is gonna release you while you're still receiving fluids and nutrition through I.V. bags. I can't do anything about that. However, there is something I could do…. "

"What?"

"Let's make a deal, you and I. Tell me one thing about what happened that night… It can be any one thing, small or big, as long as it's something that the police don't already know and in return I'll go over to your home and check on your dog personally."

The girl shook her head and signed, "Why would I do that? You don't even like dogs!"

"I have no problem with dogs, I just like cats better. I think it's a fair offer."

"More like extortion," Bree responded, unimpressed. "I hate this. I don't need any stupid fluids." She looked about ready to pull the I.V. line out and make a run for the door.

"Give me something of yours to take with me, like that leather cuff bracelet you've got over there," Bella pointed to the bedside table where a small collection of personal items was also located. "I can let your dog sniff it and she'll know that you haven't forgotten about her."

Bree looked a bit hesitant, but then, she shook her head 'no' again.

"Anything you say will stay between you and me. No one else will know."

.

"I don't believe you. That's stupid. What's the point, if no one else will know?"

"For me it's about establishing trust. For you… for you it's about that feeling of lightness that comes with unburdening one of your secrets."

Bree stared at the door for a long minute. Then suddenly her hands were moving again. "He's lying," she signed.

"Who's lying?"

"Someone…Someone knows. That's all you're getting from me."

"Knows what?"

"More than they let on, obviously…. I've said my one thing." She retrieved the bracelet and held it out, expectantly.

"Okay," Bella nodded, pocketing the item. "Thank you for talking to me, Bree. I'll be back tomorrow. Try and get some rest."

' _Someone…Someone knows …'_

Those words were eerily similar to the ones that had echoed in Bella own mind for the last five years. Someone had to know more than they let on… It was the only conclusion making sense to her.

She nearly let a bitter laugh tumble from her lips as she exited the hospital room. 'Don't let this get personal; you'll lose focus.'


	21. Chapter 21

_**AN: I know I've promised you all a press conference with chief Swan, but Edward was getting impatient. He hasn't gotten nearly as much stage time in this fic as the others…. So, we're back at Bella remembering her's first couple of months in Forks and her first impressions of Edward . This chapter is outlining the second time the two of them are properly interacting.**_

.

 **-=[ Bella Swan,17 y.o. – The past]=-**

 **.**

 **Chapter 21**

.

 _Previously: 'Someone… Someone knows… 'The words were eerily similar to the ones that had echoed in Bella own mind for the last five years. Someone had to know more than they let on… It was the only conclusion that ever made sense to her._

.

.

Despite not having actually attended any classes in little over six months, Bella had gotten sucked right back in to the vortex that was high school in record time.

She'd hoped that the 'new girl' novelty would wear off quickly, but apparently it still hadn't. The more she tried to blend in, the more she stuck out as a sore thumb. She'd never attended a school this small before and her plan to remain aloof and avoid "connecting" with her fellow students, had pretty much been shot to pieces by week four, when she'd accidently-on-purpose hit Mike Newton in the head with a Volleyball in PE. The impact had a caused a nosebleed. You'd think he'd get the hint after that, right? Well, wrong! He'd somehow managed to guilt tripp her into sitting with him at lunch the following day… and the day after that ….

It had been awful…just plain awful. So much so, that when she saw him come for her on the third day that week, she'd run straight for Alice Cullen, begging for protection. Alice, of course, had embraced her with open arms.

Bella's only true ally in school, Angela, had been home sick with a nasty stomach bug that particular week. She found the whole thing hilarious though, once she returned to school a few days later and found Bella going through great lengths to hide from both Mike and Alice once the lunch hour came around.

Speaking of ducking out of an awkward situation … This brought Bella back to her current mad rush to get away from curious eyes and well-meaning, but slightly intrusive questions.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Bella let her feet carry her down the walkway leading away from the house, or mansion was more like it, because holy shit, the Cullens lived in a freaking mansion! She wished someone would have warned her… She knew from the cars they drove and the clothes they wore that they were well off, but no one had mentioned they lived in a house the size of a small country.

The afternoon study session with Alice had been all sorts of awkward and the dinner that followed, with the parents, a.k.a Dr. and Dr. Cullen (or Esme and Carlisle, for those on first name basis with them), had been even worse…

Esme had been trying to be discreet, acting like she didn't already know Bella quite well through their therapy sessions. Frankly her acting skills left much to be desired. Her husband had apparently been briefed by his wife sometime between walking through the front door and sitting down at the dinner table, because he, too, was behaving a bit shifty, being overly friendly and way too interested in anything Bella said or did.

Bella just wanted to get home and forget about this whole miserable day all together. She longed for her pajamas and her bed. She just wanted to go to sleep and start over in the morning.

With that in mind, she hurried her steps. It was past seven now and it was completely dark outside, save for a generous number of garden lights, casting an eerie glow on the walkway in front of her.

When said walkway split in two directions, she halted for a moment – she could stick with the path on the right and go round the side of the main house and onto the driveway, or she could take the left option, leading her towards the garage. If she remembered correctly, there was a shortcut behind the garage that let you bypass the driveway altogether, taking you directly down to the pine-tree-lined road below the Cullen property.

Of course, there were no garden lights at the back of the garage. In fact there seemed to be very little light at all back there and no concrete slabs to walk on. It was just a grassy lawn, split in two by what looked to be a well-used 'cow path'. It did not look particularly inviting, not in the slightest actually… She wasn't afraid of the dark, per say, it was more like a perfectly justifiable wariness about whatever nastiness could be hidden in the darkness.

Taking the route around the garage would, however, be the fastest way to get away from any curious eyes watching her through the windows of the house behind her. Well duh, a shortcut is typically faster by definition… Anyway, when you put it like that, it was a no-brainer… sure, she wasn't too fond of the dark, but what she hated even more was the feeling of being watched, checked, supervised, and reported on… By this point, Bella's feet had already started moving on their own accord, steering left, heading into the darkness.

It started out alright; she swiped her phone to life and used it as a flashlight. It was a bit of a juggling act though, because aside from her phone and her school bag she was also carrying around two plastic containers, filled to the brim with food.

Dr. Cullen – Esme—had insisted on having Bella bring home leftovers for Charlie. She meant well, but Bella knew vegan spaghetti Bolognese with mushrooms and zucchini pasta would not be a hit with her father. He was the type of man that considered any meal without meat a waste of time. And also, for him to eat mushrooms that didn't come served with cheese and crust in a pizza box, was simply unheard of.

Bella had searched for the words to explain this to Esme, without sounding like she was dissing the meal itself… but she came up blank.

"Put the food in the fridge and leave it there. That's what I do. Men, when hungry enough, will eat just about anything," Esme insisted, as she handed over the plastic containers, leaving no room for objection. "Bet you he won't even notice that it's vegan, Isabella. Just tell him that it's home cooked and Italian. I have yet to meet a man that doesn't love a good Italian meal," she stated, with great conviction.

Bella wasn't as convinced, but whatever… she was stuck with the food containers all the same.

As she reached the backside of the garage, several things happened at once. It started with an unexpected cracking, creaking noise. It startled her a bit, but it wasn't too bad. It didn't end there, however. A millisecond later, a foreign object the size of a small rock, or a twig, or something, came flying towards her, landing by her feet.

She was already jittery because of the dark and the simple fact that she couldn't see much of anything. So, naturally, this sudden 'attack' had her whipping around, fully expecting to find a squirrel, or raccoon, or God forbid something bigger, coming towards her, ready to eat her alive.

Simultaneously, one of the plastic food containers, started to slip out of her grasp. She stumbled forward to catch it, which nearly made her trip in the process. The container hit the ground with a sudden thud. The lid popped off, spilling food everywhere, a big portion of it ending up on her shoes - her favorite sneakers, of course. Just her luck!

However, before Bella could start cursing herself too heavily, she heard that cracking, creaking noise again. It was the sound of someone stepping down some sort of stairs, she realized.

Just then, another pea-sized gravel came flying through the air, landing on the ground in front of her and she jumped a second time.

"Wow, you really are as klutzy and skittish as everyone say you are!" someone said from somewhere in the darkness behind her…. or rather slightly above her.

Her head snapped up. She knew that voice, even though he had only actually spoken directly to her that one time- her first day at school when she'd quite literally run smack into him - she recognized who that voice belonged to right off the bat. It was the ever-so-friendly and cheerful Edward Cullen gracing her with his presence (note the sarcasm there…).

He'd been missing at dinner, but none of the others had said anything about it. Not that she'd cared enough to ask about him, or anything. She'd just noted that he'd been absent… and that no one else had found it strange, or unusual that he wasn't there.

Well, his whereabouts was no longer a mystery….

"And you Cullen, you really are just as rude and creepy as everyone say you are," she flung back at him, purposely mimicking his choice of words and speaking pattern, only changing 'klutzy and skittish' for 'rude and creepy'.

"Creepy?" he asked, stepping closer.

She still couldn't see much, but she knew where he was as she could detect the tell-tale glow from a cigarette. She could also confirm that there was, indeed, a wooden staircase with an iron railing, clinging to the wall behind him. She figured he must have been sitting on the stairs smoking, when she came rounding the corner of the garage.

Bella took in a deep breath, feeling just how scared she'd really been there for a second. "Yeah, creepy… I mean, what the fuck is wrong with you, sneaking around in the dark like some kind of mass murderer or pervert?!"

"I'm not sneaking around, I live here," he spoke up again, irritation evident in his voice. "I'd like to hear your excuse though, Swan."

Bella gritted her teeth, as a sudden anger flared up inside her. Excuse…? Excuse for what exactly? Existing? Breathing? Crossing the lawn to access the road leading into town? Eating dinner with his family? He was just too much, this guy…

Instead of answering straight away, she started wiping the goo off her shoes on a patch of grass. Her sneakers had absorbed quite a bit of Bolognese sauce already; resulting in stains that would be a bitch to get out.

"I'm waiting," Edward added expectantly when she didn't say anything.

Screw this! Screw him! There would be no excuses, no apologies coming from her, Bella decided, throwing a nasty glare in his general direction, as she still couldn't see much of him because it was so dark.

"You know what Cullen, I may be a skittish klutz, in fact I'm fairly sure I am," she informed him, crossing her arms over her chest. "But the way I see it, this mess…" She made an angry gesture with her hand towards her shoes. "…was just as much your fault as it was mine, if not more your fault. And now, thanks to you, my most comfortable shoes are ruined. You just don't sneak up on unsuspecting girls like that, especially not in the dark."

"Calm your titties, Swan. I didn't do anything. I was just sitting here minding my own business. You're the one that came barging around the corner like a freight train," he said stiffly, showing no interest in accepting any part of the blame.

Bella let out an unimpressed sound that was somewhere between a scoff and a huff.

"But for what it's worth, I'm sorry about your snea-… No scratch that. I don't care about your shoes. I'm sorry good food is going to waste, that's as far as I can go," Edward continued, stepping into the moonlight, so that she could see his face; fierce and steely….and savagely beautiful. This guy had eyelashes to kill for - insanely long, casting impressive shadows across his cheek.

"I mean, it looks like mom been trying to woo you with her take on Italian, right?" he asked, motioning with his chin towards the gooey mess on the ground, where the container had landed. "Spaghetti Bolognese… for chief Swan, I'm guessing?"

Bella heaved a sigh, shaking her head. "That's none of your - " she started to say, but then changed her mind, "Yes, there will be no Spaghetti for Charlie tonight. He'll go to bed hungry and grumpy and it will be all your fault."

"Chief Swan grumpy? You mean he isn't Mr. Eternal Sunshine all the time?" Edward barked out a short laugh. "So anyway…. You want me to hose you down with the garden hose, Swan? I can totally do that for you, free of charge..."

"Thanks, but no thanks."

"Alright, your loss. Could have been fun. Nice chatting to you," he said, then waved his hand at her dismissively. "Now, off you go!"

"Geez! Yes, I'll get going. I'm sorry I interrupted your brooding-in-the-dark routine. No need to be so rude about it."

Bella unclenched her fists, trying to force herself to relax.

Technically, it was not Edward's fault that she was this jittery and that his mere presence irked her. Not his fault tha-...

"Rude is my middle name, it's something you'll have to get used to," Edward said, interrupting her train of thoughts.

"Edweirdo Rude Cullen — how fitting," Bella snorted.

"Ha, ha, funny….NOT!" He wasn't laughing.

"Seriously Swan, I think you should leave now. I've got stuff to do and you're wasting my time," he said, before demonstratively lifting his cigarette to his lips.

He held the smoke in for a while and then exhaled.

Time seemed to stop as Bella became aware of the comfortably familiar smell of weed. Funny, she hadn't caught whiff of that earlier, actually…. And it smelled like it could be of good quality….

"Seriously, Cullen," she said, mimicking him again, "I can take a hint. You want me gone and I'll leave, but first…," she trailed off in a studiously casual manner. "But first, let me have some of that as a parting gift."

"Excuse me?" He looked her up and down. "You want what?"

"I want a drag of your blunt, please." She smiled sweetly at him. "Was that better? And don't look so surprised, you thought I wouldn't recognize the smell?"

"Well, I was hoping you were more the pill-popping kind of girl," he said in a bored tone of voice, but he was clearly holding back some amusement, judging by the way his eyes squinted a bit.

"You're such a jerk, Cullen. Now give me that," She leaned forward and surprised them both by reaching out and stealing the blunt from right where it had been dangling between his lips.

"Hey, I just lit that up!" he protested.

"Don't be greedy now," she teased, backing away. "Sharing is…" She had to cough, before she could continue. "Sharing is caring," she finally managed to get out.

She kept coughing for a bit as the smoke itched and burned her throat.

In the meanwhile, Edward scowled at her, but kept his distance.

Surprise, surprise, he did actually have some redeeming qualities after all - good weed and a healthy appreciation for personal space (or a crippling fear of germs, perhaps?).

"I was invited, by the way," she told him, feeling charitable, as she let a puff of the smoke out between her lips.

"To your house, this afternoon," she added, answering the questioning look on his face. "Alice and I got paired up for some stupid Biology project. We were supposed to work on it in the library after school, but your sister insisted we'd do it here instead, said no one would be home…and that the books in your dad's home office are better than the ones in the library. Those were blatant lies, it seems. I ended up meeting your entire family and if your dad has any books on Gene-sequencing-biology, he sure doesn't keep them at home. Your sister can be a bit… manipulative at times – no offence."

"None taken. We call her the evil pixie around this place," he said with a rather gruff, but fond voice. "She can be quite stubborn when there is something that she wants. However, she's also loyal to a fault and successful in everything she tries her hands at. You could definitely do worse as far as study partner goes… or friend, I suppose. There are a lot of skanks and nasty bitches at school-…"

"So I've noticed," she interrupted him. "Listen, I don't want a bff. I just want to be left alone."

"Good luck, telling Alice that," he laughed. "I'll give you a little tip on how to get rid of her for when she's bugging you. Just tell her she's got something between her teeth. That will have her digging around in her purse, or even better, running off looking for a mirror. Works every time and gives you a few seconds to slip away."

"Thanks. I'll try and remember that," Bella took another drag and exhaled slowly, while contemplating her next move.

This weed really was of the excellent kind. It had been long-too long-since she'd last gotten her hands on something remotely decent. Unfortunately, Edward was beginning to look impatient, already snapping his fingers, indicating it was time for her to give it up. She was going to have to talk to him for a bit, distract him while she finished the blunt.

Ugh… small talk was really NOT her forte. Where do one start?School? The weather? Zodiac signs? Boring!

She racked her brain for something to say and ended up picking the first thing that came to mind (never a good move), "So your parents… they are quite the pair, aren't they?"

"My parents? You want to talk about my parents?" He rolled his eyes at her, as if saying, 'that was lame, is that the best you can do?'

"Yes." Lame or not, she decided to stick with it. "It's just that I met your dad for the first time tonight and he nothing like I would have imagine a small town surgeon to be. He's a surgeon, right? For starters, he's in surprisingly good shape for someone his age. Does he take work out tips from your brother, or is it the other way around?"

Edward raised an eyebrow and gave her what looked to be a what-the-fuck-face.

"Anyway…" she continued. "Your mom seems to be very youthful as well. They must have been quite young when they had you, right?"

"Well, yeah. But enough about my parents," he interrupted her, snapping his fingers again. "Let's talk about your dad instead. Do I need to worry?"

"I don't know, do you?" she returned the question, as she indicated she wanted one last hit. "Worry about what? I'm not sure I follow…"

"Is the Chief on his way over here to pick you up, or what?" he clarified.

"Ah, no. You can relax. He's busy sorting out some hunting accident or accidental shooting, or something… He called to let me know he'd be home late."

"Alright. Someone else is picking you up then?"

"No," she shook her head. "I'm walking."

"Walking? Why?" his eyebrows shot up. "I mean, Alice got a perfectly functioning car and a squeaky clean driving record. She ran over a squirrel once, but that was very much unintentionally. She cried herself to sleep-…."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Bella cut him off. "I don't mind walking. Gives me time to clear my head a bit. Listen, your family is great and I bet every single one of them would have offered to give me a ride, had I asked for one. However, I've had my quota of socializing all used up for the day, if you know what I mean…"

A moment of silence followed. Then, Edward let out a breath, or rather, a deep sigh. "Alright Swan, that's up to you, I guess," he finally said, as if he actually did know exactly what she meant. "I know where you live and it IS walkable, absolutely. But are you sure you wanna make that walk alone at night?"

"Why not? Because I'm a girl? Don't tell me you've never done it. I bet you've walked into town at night a million times. I mean, before you got that fancy Volvo of yours…."

"Nah, too lazy for that," He shoved his hands into his pant pockets. "I used to steal dad's mountain bike occasionally… but mostly I just stayed around the house."

"Well, I don't have a bike and like I said, I don't mind walking."

He looked at her quietly for a long moment.

She held her breath, half expecting him to offer to drive her himself, or walk with her or something. He did nothing of the sort though and the moment passed.

Why would he? she scolded herself. They weren't friends and they didn't socialize. They had a nodding acquaintance, if even that.

"Is it a deliberate thing?" he suddenly asked, seemingly out of the blue. "The whole 'not driving' thing? I know the Chief takes you to school in his cruiser every morning, everyone knows about that…but… I mean, you DO have a driving license, don't you?"

"I do have a license, yes. What I don't have is my own car. If I could afford it, I'd buy myself one like yesterday." She narrowed her eyes at him. Why would he ask that? Did he know…err something? He was acting a bit shady all of a sudden.

"Not all teenagers live in mansions and drive brand spanking new cars," she added when he didn't say anything.

"So, daddy says no, I take it?!"

"Charlie is both cheap and overly cautious. He says I'll have to wait until spring time before he let me drive anything –bike or car- because, apparently, he doesn't think I can handle the roads up here. Oh and he claims everyone around here drives like maniacs?! So, thanks a bunch for that!"

"You're welcome." He gave a harsh, short laugh. "I can't say I blame him for being cautious though, given… you know, what happened to your mom and stuff."

What-the-hell!?

When she looked up, he wasn't meeting her eyes. "Excuse me? What did you just say?"

"There are a lot of old cars and huge trucks with insane speed on the roads up here. You have to look out for fallen trees and wild animals as well."

"No, that's not what you said. You were talking about my mom. What do you know - or think you know- about my mother?" she asked, accusation and near-panic in her voice.

"I know your mother totaled her car and that she-… He cut himself short. "Never mind, I'm sorry I brought it up in the first place. You all right there, Swan? Bella?" he asked, making it sound like he knew he'd said too much, like he cared….

She'd almost believe this sudden act of concern, if it wasn't for the fact that he'd used her moment of weakness against her and was currently trying to twist the blunt out of her grasp.

She tried to jerk her hand away, but wasn't fast enough. As their fingers touched it ignited that annoying spark of something again, a stirring of awareness. She didn't know why, but it just made her even more furious than she already was.

"Firstly, what happened to my mother is none of your God damn business," she snapped and took a few, slow, steps towards him.

Edward held up his hands. "I didn't mean-…"

"Secondly, you're nuts if you think I'm okay with discussing this with you, some random weirdo from school, of all people," she spat in his face.

That had him shoving her away, like he'd gotten a whiff of three-day-old garbage or something. Saliva, or germs more specifically, really did seem to be his kryptonite. She stored that knowledge away for future use.

"I've already said I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have brought it up. I'm sorry for your loss, Isabella. Really, truly sorry, okay?!"

"And thirdly, who told you?" she continued, calmer now. She could sense that he was about three seconds from turning around and walking away. She couldn't have that. She wanted answers. "How did you know and what do you know?"

"I just know, Swan… I just know," he sighed. "I guess you could say I've heard your father talk about it."

"My dad? Why? What did he tell you?"

"Nothing. He told me nothing." He shook his head. "Chief Swan came to our house to speak with mom, wanting her professional advice, or whatever. His visit was a bit out of the blue. Honestly, I thought he came to our house looking for me, that I was in trouble for something I'd done the night before. Anyway, I overheard them talking. This was during summer break, by the way, a week or so before you first arrived in town, I think. Mom didn't know I was home. She thought I was sat work, but I had called in sick….I had a hangover and-..."

"You were eavesdropping," she stated, motioning for him to continue.

He nodded. "I didn't hear much, just the basics. Frankly, I didn't find their conversation all that interesting. The way your dad was talking about you… I mean, I got the impression that you were a lot younger than you actually turned out to be. I didn't think you'd end up in school with us."

"So, basically what you know is that the reason I came here to live with my dad is because my mom k-…" She couldn't get the word out, without her voice threatening to break. She swallowed, before trying again, using a different word this time. "My mom totaled her car. The crash was fatal. She's gone, dead, no longer in this life."

He cleared his throat, "Yes. I haven't told anyone about what I heard that day and I won't. You can trust me with this."

"Trust you? I don't even know you," she commented bitterly, watching his back stiffen.

"I'm sorry you've lost your mother and I get that you don't want to talk about it," he responded, turning to leave. "I guess I'll see you around at school …."

"Wait!" she called after him. She didn't know why, but she didn't want to let him go just yet, not like this… "I apologize for coming off as a total bitch. It's just that… well, you're prodding at a wound that's still raw you know."

"Whatever… I've tried being nice, but I can tell you are not interested in nice. God night, Bella Swan! "

She felt herself scowling. "Okay fine, that was a bit hash, but whatever…" she said, trying to act like his rejection didn't bother her at all.

"Life hurts. Pain stings. Anger burns. Karma bites," he shouted over his shoulder as sprinted up the stairs. She heard a door open and close and then he was out of sight.

One second, two seconds, three seconds passed. He wasn't coming back. Bella sighed, not sure what to make of this.

At least she'd learned one thing tonight…. Edward Cullen was one weird dude, but he sure knew his dope.

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	22. Chapter 22

_**AN: This chapter starts where the last one ended. Bella learns new things about Edward, first from his brother and then later on from Angela. For someone that isn't interested she sure has a lot of questions and Angela sits on a wealth of knowledge it seems. Not sure what's worse; the way Angela gossips so freely, or they way Bella uses this personality trait (or flaw?) to get her own curiosity satisfied…**_

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 **-=[ Bella Swan, 17 y.o. – The Past ]=-**

 **22.**

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"So you survived, little Swan."

"Wh-?!" Bella's head snapped up.

She closed her locker and found Emmett McCarty, leaning against the locker next to her.

"Family dinner last night….. just wanted to make sure it didn't leave you too traumatized."

"Well, as you can see I'm fine form this morning."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," he grinned. "But my brother said I had to come over here and make sure." As he said this, he pointed with his chin over his shoulder.

"Who? Edward?" Bella craned her neck to see for herself.

"That's the only brother I've got."

"Yeah, I know. But why would he care how dinner went? He wasn't even there." Squinting, she could vaguely make out two tall figures across the hall.

She recognizing, not only Edward's form, but Rosalie Hale's too. And both of them were staring back at her, not even bothering to hide their scrutinous glares.

"Ah, but you did run into him after dinner, didn't you not? I heard you got off on the wrong foot again and that 'words' were exchanged." Emmett made air quotes as he said 'words' and Bella groaned inwardly.

Of course Edward had already blabbed about it – It didn't surprise her. He was Alice Cullen's twin, after all.

"My brother isn't the most social person out there. He is rather harmless though. He talks tough, but barks more than he bites..."

"Riiiight….Good to know. Well, nice talking to you Emmett, but I gotta get to class now," she replied with a resolute nod. "You can report back to Edward that there are no hard feelings, but in the future I'll keep out of his way and he can keep out of mine."

She made a move to leave but Emmett interrupted her, "Wait, one more thing before you go…. I was supposed to return something that's yours. Here, Edward said you dropped this last night."

He pulled a cylindrical tube out of his pocket; more precisely, a tube of strawberry flavored ChapStick.

"That's not mi-…" she started saying. While it was true that she always kept lip balm her school bag- same brand, same flavor—there was just no way the tube he was holding in his hand belonged to her. She knew this because she'd applied ChapStick just a few minutes ago and then tucked it back into her bag.

"I wouldn't ask too many questions, if I were you," Emmett cut her short, before she could say anything else, "Eddie left you a little something inside. Don't look now though. You can check it out later when you're alone."

"He what?"

"A little gift, he called it." Emmett was grinning now, but he kept his voice uncharacteristically quiet. "An apology for spooking you last night."

"What is it?" Bella asked, twisting the lid off.

"Not here," Emmett hissed. "You'll like it, I promise. It's a very... uhm… thoughtful gift, but save it for later when no one's watching. Too many eyes here…"

They were, indeed, attracting quite a bit of attention from the passer-bys. Apart from Edward and Rosalie, there were at least a handful of students, openly staring at them (or gawking, Emmett attracted a lot of gawks) but there were just as many pretending not to care, but watching their interaction all the same.

"Excuse me for being a bit sceptical, but Edward and thoughtful don't exactly go together in my mind," Bella said, with a shake of her head. "He's all kinds of strange, your brother. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, on the contrary actually. I like people that think for themselves rather than following what everyone else does, just because that's the way it's always been done, but-… " she stopped mid ramble, as she realized what exactly she was looking at inside the tube. "Wow. Is that…? I mean, of course it is…"

"See, I told you, you'd like it." Emmett pointed out, looking mighty smug with his arms folded against his chest.

"Yeah. Yeah…You got me there." She kept her tone casual and shrugged her shoulders. "Tell him thanks…. and you know, don't' tell him the other stuff I said about him..."

"I shouldn't tell him you were calling him 'all kinds of strange', you mean?" Emmett teased, his eyebrow raised.

"You know what? Never mind…. He already knows what I think of him. Just tell him he's a coward for not delivering the apology himself! The gift was a nice touch though."

"I'll tell him you liked it. So all is good? No hard feelings?"

"No hard feelings. Listen, I've got trig with Varner, so I really should go…." she trailed off.

"Right. See you around school, Swan!" Emmett pushed himself off the lockers.

"Laters," she nodded.

Suddenly, Emmett stopped and turned around again. "Bella Swan, on a scale from one to ten, how afraid of the dark would you say that you are?"

"A high six or a low seven, maybe, "she answered before she could give her answer any thought. "Why do you ask?"

"Next time you decide to walk into town from our place, there's a shorter way you can take. Part of it leads you through the woods though, so no streetlights there. Edward said, you either didn't know about it, or that you're too scared to walk in the dark, because he saw you take the long way home last night."

"He saw what?!" Bella asked confused for a second. The only reason he would know which way she'd taken was if he'd been-…. "He followed me!" she huffed. "Why? I mean, it's not like we're friends or anything-…."

"Eh… I'm guessing he wanted was to make sure you got home alright, but as you said, my brother really is all sorts of strange, so who knows really," Emmett teased, using Bella's own words against her.

"No, but seriously, Edward was just looking out for you. I would have done the same. There are a lot wild animals around these parts, like bears and wolves and stuff. Actually, I would have insisted on giving you a ride, had I known you were planning on walking home alone. However, I'm pretty sure I head you tell mom that Chief Swan was picking you up… Or is my memory playing ticks on me?"

"No, Charlie WAS supposed to come pick me up. It's just that he got delayed," she interrupted him, not interested in explaining herself further. "And I didn't feel like waiting around, so I started walking. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."

"Eddie said you got quite the head start on him. He went inside to fetch his jacket and when he came out again, you were already well on your way. He claims he called out your name, but I guess you didn't hear him, or something…"

"Yeah, well, I had my headphones on," she responded, running through the previous night in her mind.

Had Edward really been walking behind her the whole way home? Even with her headphones on and her music blasting, it still seemed unlikely that she wouldn't have noticed him. She had been looking behind her every few minutes, making sure no murders, or rapists or bears were sneaking up on her from behind.

"For future reference," Emmett went on saying. "Look for the dirt road on your left hand side as you come up the first hill and the road curves to the right."

"Okay thanks, I guess. Not sure I'll have much use of this information, but-…."

"You never know. Not that I'd encourage you to make a habit out of walking alone late at night, but if you do, this route is way shorter. It's an old service road that ends in a clearing where the hikers usually park. After that, it becomes a narrow walking trail. You'll pass another, smaller clearing with a pond and then it's just approximately ten more minutes of walking, before you'll see buildings. One of them being the back of Newton's outfitters, I assume you know your way from there, right?"

"Yes, I do, thanks. But I really, REALLY need to go now." She could see Angela approaching out of the corner of her eye.

They had trig together, not that they usually sat together during class or anything, but she knew Angela would be DYING to find out what was going on.

Why was the big, mighty Emmett McCarthy, stopping by plain Jane Bella's locker for a chat before class?

She could already hear the questions that were sure to come… Angela was a bit like Alice in that aspect, actually; having millions of questions about stuff that really didn't matter outside the walls of this stupid school. She would have to try and set those two up. To her, the idea of them not being friends was legitimately ridiculous… especially if their tiff was over a guy, which was what she'd heard.

"I see how it is," Emmett said, heaving a dramatic sigh. "Youngins, these days…. always in a rush to be somewhere."

Seconds later, he'd spun around and was walking away. Perhaps, he too, had seen Angela approaching and decided to take the chance to flee before it was too late.

Bella wasn't as lucky.

"I saw that!"

"Hi, Angie!" Bella said, putting on a big, fake, cheery smile.

"Don't Hi-Angie-me! I want to know what THAT was all about?" the girl shot back, her amber eyes big and curious. "How come Emmett McCarthy was over here chatting with you? What did he want? What did you guys talk about?"

"Boring stuff," Bella responded, heaving a sigh. "Come on, we'll be late to class. Let's walk and talk."

"Alright, but don't think you're getting away with this - I want a full recap," the girl insisted, falling into step with Bella as she started walking.

"Not here, not now," Bella shook her head. "Maybe we could talk at lunch," she suggested hopefully.

If she was lucky something more interesting would happen before Angela had a chance to corner her again and her conversation with Emmett wouldn't be as gossip-worthy anymore.

"Yeah, alright, we can talk at lunch," Angela agreed somewhat reluctantly as they came to a halt in front of the door to their classroom.

"Definitely…" Bella nodded, ready to dismiss her, but then though of something. "Uhm, actually… is there some place where we can get away from curious eyes and talk uninterrupted?"

"Sure… Do you know where the dumpster is? The one behind the Auditorium? I could meet you there."

"Excellent, I'll come find you there," Bella managed to squeeze in just as the bell rang and they had to scramble to get to their respective seats.

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….

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The rest of the morning went by in an uneventful manner. As the lunch break came around, Bella made her way outside to scope out the spot Angela had mentioned as a good place for uninterrupted conversations.

She wasn't wrong –turns out the tree lined, north facing schoolyard, where the dumpster was located, was perhaps the most' uncozy' and uninviting corner of the school grounds. This was mostly because the sun rarely reached this place this time of year. Not to surprising, most of the student body whas off elsewhere, basking in what little autumn warmth there was left.

"Hi, I'm sorry I'm late," Angela panted as she came barging around the corner of the huge box-like metal container. "Tyler was being a jerk and-… Wait! Is that a joint?" she asked, sounding appropriately scandalized as her eyes landed on Bella, toying with Edward's little gift between her fingers.

"Hi, Angie. You're right on time, no worries," Bella greeted the girl, with a calm smile. "I'm leaning towards it being a spliff, but good eye there…"

"A what?"

"A spliff, you know, a hybrid where you mix the good stuff with regular tobacco. You usually can tell by the way it's rolled and the smell of it," she explained.

"Where did you get-…? Who gave you-… It wasn't Mike, was it?" Angela stuttered, taking a few steps back.

"No, Newton's weed is a joke," Bella responded. "This is top-notch stuff. Sadly, I suspect the ratio is way too low for my liking, but it's high quality nonetheless. It was passed on to me from a… friend this morning."

"That's why Emmett stopped by your locker?" Angela's eyes were impossibly wide now. "Are you saying he is…. dealing?"

"No, nothing like that. It was a gift." She brought her lighter out and flicked it a few times.

"Bella!" Angela hissed. "You can't smoke that here! Not at school! You'll get in trouble for sure."

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't... One thing is for sure though, taking it home with me isn't a good option, as I'm sure you can imagine," Bella shrugged, studying the flame at the tip of the lighter. "I can't be certain, but I think Charlie has gone through my stuff at least twice these past three weeks."

"I can't stay, Bella. Sorry, but I can't be around for… THIS. If you get caught-… people will think-…"

Suddenly, she felt sorry for the girl. "I understand Angie, that's okay," she said, letting the lighter's flame die. "Never let anyone force you into doing something you're not comfortable with. You asked about Emmett and stuff and now you know… He was simply dropping off a 'gift' of sorts. No biggie, just a little something he and Edward thought I would enjoy." She paused a second for effect before she continued. "Hey, did I tell you I went over to their house yesterday… and had dinner, with entire family?"

"You had dinner with the Cullens?! No you didn't tell me that..." Angela seemed to forget about her moral qualms for a moment. "Was it Alice? Did she finally find a way to wear down your resistance?"

Bella simply nodded in response.

"How did she manage that? I know you've been doing everything in your power to avoid her."

"I can't avoid her in biology. You know how we're lab partners, right? Well, last week Mr. Molia got us paired up for a project that counts for 20% of our grades. Yesterday, she invited me over to her house after school, so that we could get started on the project."

"Ah, I see... Even a genius like yourself need passing grades."

"I'm hardly a genius, especially not when it comes to biology," Bella snorted. "Far from it, really. I'm just your average student, my grades are acceptable but they never standout."

The truth was she'd never had to work particularly hard to pass her classes and achieve good grades in the past. But that was before her mother died and her life spun into chaos... Nowadays it was a struggle to find motivation to put any effort into anything besides sleeping…and she anticipated her grades would suffer quite a bit this year.

"Anyway," she continued, when she noticed Angela looking at her strangely. "A study date with Alice seemed pretty harmless- better than the alternative anyway. She's been pestering me about going shopping with her and Hale, but I just don't see that ending well, for anyone involved."

"So…you went over to her house to study, but ended up saying for dinner…with her family-as in, they were all there, the entire Cullen clan. Wait, does this mean Dr Cullen was home too?"

"Yes, both her mom and dad were home. However, judging by the way you're blushing, I'm guessing you mean her dad? You fancy him, eh?" she couldn't stop herself from teasing the Angie a bit.

This made Angela's blush deepen even further. "I'll never admit to saying this, not even under torture, but yes, Dr Cullen is pretty hot…well, for a doctor anyway. He stitched me up a few months ago. One of my brothers slammed a car door on my finger. Not that I'm into older men, or anything, but you know, I found him really, really-…"

"Hot? Yes, you've already said that," Bella laughed. "No worries, your secret is safe with me. I have to say, Carlisle seems very nice and easy-going. I can totally see why you're crushing on him.."

"I'm not crushing on him," Angela protested. "Wait! You're on first name basis with him?" She sounded astounded by this fact.

"Sort of I guess. They specifically told me to call them Esme and Carlisle. I think they say that to all their guests though. I mean, they are both Dr. Cullen at work, but it get's confusing when you're sitting at their dinner table trying to have a normal conversation with them." She paused to flick the lighter again. This time when she brought the flame to the tip of her spliff, she was met with no protests.

"Did you know Alice has a Jacuzzi in her ensuite?" she asked, deciding to throw Angela bone, knowing the girl was more than a little fascinated with the Cullen siblings.

"She whaaat?!"

"I know, crazy, right?!" Bella laughed at Angela's expression. "The only time I see any bubbles in mine and Charlie's bathroom is when the faucet spits out air bubbles instead of hot water."

"My entire family - all five of us, six if you count Bree- are sharing one bathtub. I mean, we do have two bathrooms, but only one tub."

"I wouldn't be surprised if the Cullens have more bathrooms than bedrooms, actually. Alice gave me a tour of the place and it's HUGE."

"I bet it is. I mean, I've only been inside once since they finished the renovations and the extension and that was ages ago..."

"Yeah, I'll tell you all about last night's dinner, but listen…. do you think you could help me keep a lookout?" Bella blew out some smoke, to indicate what she was talking about. "You know, we can't have anyone getting wind of this."

"Err, fine," she agreed reluctantly. "Don't ask me again though. This is the only time I'm doing this, alright?"

"Fair enough… So if you cover that direction," Bella pointed. "I'll keep my eye on this corner over here."

…

"Is it true that Edward doesn't actually live in the house with the rest of his family?"

"What do you mean?" Bella asked, checking the time on her phone. They still had another ten or so minutes, before they had to get going.

"I've heard he has like… his own little 'studio apartment' above his parent's garage where he's been living since he turned fifteen." Angela moved from foot to foot, seemingly still nervous about getting caught doing something her parents would not approve of.

"Really? I didn't know that. I suppose, that would explain why I didn't see him around the house yesterday. I mean, the only time Alice mention him was when was showing me the baby grand in the music room. It was kind of weird, come to think of it…."

"Weird how? What do you mean?"

"He is in all the family portraits, and I saw his name on the weekly schedule for chores that they keep on the fridge, but apart from that… there was nothing indicating that he actually lives there. No clothes, or school books, or personal belongings…"

"Right, I think that could be part of the reason why he has his own 'place' separated from the main house though. I've only heard rumors, of course, but apparently he's pretty peculiar about who gets to touch his stuff. I heard from McKenna who heard from Tanya D that Edward threw a fit once, when he caught her looking through his CD's. Apparently he has a huge CD collection and apparently it's sorted in chronological release order."

"So... he's obsessive-compulsive neat freak AND a germaphobe?"

"I don't know about that. I mean, his level of neatness seems to vary strongly. Have you seen his hair?! It always points in all directions, like it hasn't seen a comb in days… And he dresses like a dirty hobo."

"You'd be surprised how much effort it takes to look like you just rolled out of bed and he pretty much perfects that look," Bella snorted. "Anyway, Edward most definitely has a hang-up about germs. I've seen that first hand. Hey, can I ask you something Angela? You once said Edward goes through girls like toilet paper, but have you seen him actually do anything beyond talking to anyone of the female gender?"

"Boy have I ever." Angela shuddered. "Last year, Coach Clap caught him and Tanya getting hot and heavy together inside one of the supply closets. Coach Clap was going around looking for tennis balls. Let's put it this way, there were balls inside that closet that shouldn't have been there… on full display…"

"Oh kinky," Bella said, taking another drag of the spliff. "Who's Tanya? One of the blonde airheads Mallory hangs with?"

"Yeah, Tanya Denali. I can point her out to you when we get back inside…. Speaking of which, shouldn't we get going? Lunch break's almost over."

"Hold on, just give me one more minute…"

"I'll give you two. I have to tie my shoelace," Angela agreed generously as she bent down to fix her shoes.

"You know what?" she said as she rose to her full length again. "I just thought of something... I've heard he doesn't kiss on the mouth, so I guess that supports your theory about him being wary of germs."

"Who? Edward?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "Oh and I've heard he's paranoid about always using…. err…you know protection." She was blushing now.

"You mean condoms? Sounds like a healthy policy to me."

"Yeah, but he insists on them even for when, you know…" she trailed off, opening her mouth to an o-shape, pointing at it with two fingers.

"Are you talking about blow jobs, Angela?"

The girl nodded.

"Still sounds reasonable to me-…." Bella started saying, but suddenly something else caught her attention. "Crap! Incoming, twelve o'clock."

Of course it was none other than Edward Cullen himself and of course he was coming straight at them.

"Sorry Angie, gotta split! See you in Spanish... oh and tomorrow after school."

"Tomorrow?"

"Babysitting again. Your mom asked me."

"Oh, okay cool. See you then," Angela called after her, but Bella was already too far away to hear her.

.  
...

.


	23. Chapter 23

**-=[ Bella Swan, 17 y.o. – The Past ]=-**

 **23.**

.

Three hours later and Bella was bored as hell. What little buzz she had gotten from smoking that spliff had worn off ages ago, leaving a dull headache in its place.

The bell rang, signaling the last class had finally finished. Erik Yorkie, the stereotypical nice nerdy guy, sitting next to her, immediately turned to her and began rambling.

Disinterested, she paid him no interest. Only a few words filtered through here and there, like 'Halloween', 'green' and 'silicone mask'.

She smiled politely as they parted ways outside the class room, "Sounds like a good plan, Yorkie. You should go for it. Green suits you."

There it was at last - one positive thing about this whole move-across-the country-thing. No one expected her to bother with a Halloween costume this year. She could still play the new-in-town card at school and claim she just wasn't 'feeling it' to Charlie and Dr. Cullen (and anyone else stupid enough to pester her about it). If that didn't do the trick, she could always shoot down any follow-up questions by pointing out that this was the first year ever that her mother would not be around for Halloween and the upcoming holiday season. That should be enough to get everyone (her father included) off her back.

She reached her locker and began turning the combination lock back and forth. It didn't click open like she had expected it to. She tried again to no avail.

Well duh! Of course it didn't work –she'd tried the old combination from her old school…. again. This happened more often than she would care to admit.

Bella closed her eyes and leaned her head against her locker, trying to remember the correct series of numbers. She tried again, but the result was the same. Either the lock had gotten stuck, or her short-term memory had gone from bad to worse. Sighing she slammed a fist against the evil metal box, holding her belongings captive. Lo and behold, that seemed to work like a charm! Suddenly, the latch popped open.

Rubbing the side of her hand, Bella pulled open the door and began putting her books away. It wasn't until she grabbed her jacket that she noticed that there was a scrap of paper at the bottom of her locker - one that hadn't been there earlier in the day.

It looked like a page from a notebook, folded in half. "Bella," was scribbled in neat handwriting on the front. She picked it up to read what else was written inside the note. "Ponytail is the answer you're looking for," was all it said.

Huh?

It was signed with the initials A.C, which Bella figured most likely was short for Alice Cullen. In fact, she was almost positive it was Alice's neat handwriting. What it meant though, she had no idea. Maybe she'd figure it out later when the headache began to clear.

Once outside the school building, she slowly started making her way over to the staff parking lot and the spot where Charlie usually picked her up and dropped her off. She knew he wouldn't be there for another ten minutes, so there was no reason to hurry her steps.

She let the other students rush past her—carefully avoiding bumping into, or being bumped into, by anyone. They were all heading off to the right side of the school buildings, towards the student parking lot, while Bella was heading in the opposite direction.

"Swan," she heard someone call from behind her. She turned around to see Edward Cullen walking towards her. His steps were just as determined now as they had been at lunch when she'd last seen him. She'd escaped him then, however this time she wasn't as lucky. He still looked absolutely furious with her… she had no idea why that was though….

"What do yo-…" she started, but before she could finish her sentence, she found herself being yanked backwards as Edward grabbed the strap of the bag she carried over her shoulder.

Before she had time to register what was happening, he had dragged her away with him off to the side of the gym building - not a terribly far distance, but it was far enough to get away from prying eyes.

He let go of her as abruptly as he had grabbed her. Bella stepped backwards quickly, her back thumping into something, a wall, she realized. She was backed up against a concrete wall.

Dread set in as she realized he had a hand on each side of her head, pinning her there. He wasn't touching her, yet she felt she couldn't move an inch.

Despite her best efforts, her mind ran wild, leaping to the last time she'd found herself cornered like this.

"What the fuck is wrong with you Swan! What part of 'save it for later' and 'not on school grounds' don't you understand?!" he shouted at her.

She shook her head, beginning to panic. Her breath began to come in shorter and shorter gasps and her heart was pounding a mile a minute.

"But I-" she tried protesting, but he was clearly not having it.

"I tried to do something nice for you….but you had to go yapping about it to half the school!" The shouting had turned into a low threatening growl that raised the hairs on the back of her neck.. "And what makes you think it's okay to drag my sister into this?! Huh? No, don't answer. I don't wanna hear it."

He made a move as if to put a hand over her mouth, to silence her, but then thought better of it. Even if he didn't follow through, Bella still saw it, the twitch in his arms. The intention had been written plainly across his face. She flinched and went perfectly still, waiting for the familiar panic to set in. The world was already beginning to swim sickeningly. Breathing was hard, and talking was impossible.

The edges of her vision turning black.

Darkness was slowly covering her like a blanket.

At some point her knees began buckling and she slid, gracelessly, down the wall.

She felt hands trying to catch her, but she slapped them away, preferring the cold hard ground over the touch of another human being.

A distant voice tried to reach her, but it was drowned out by the echoes of her own pleads of, " -no, don't do this. NO!"

.

...

.

They were still out by the back of the gym building, she noted as her surroundings came back into focus.

Bella didn't know how long she had been out. Not long, she guessed, as Edward was still right there. He hadn't fled the scene, or rushed off to get help.

What WAS he doing though? He was hunched over her bag and she could clearly hear him murmuring continuously to himself. It sounded like, "shit. shit. shit," and then there was… well, counting? Yep, Edward was definitely counting. He was going backwards; '99, 98, 97….'

At 85, Bella must have made a sound, because his head snapped up and the counting stopped.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice sounding oddly gruff.

She nodded, not trusting her own voice.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded again.

"I need to hear you say it, Bella."

"Yes," she managed to force out. "I'm okay."

It wasn't a lie, she realized. She wasn't hyperventilating or crying. She felt a bit shaky and out of breath, but apart from that she felt mostly okay.

Huh? That was new….

Perhaps it hadn't been a full-fledged panic attack?

Yes, her body and mind had all but shut down for a moment there. However, now in the aftermath of it all, it felt more like she had willed herself to faint in order to get out of a stressful situation, rather than passing out from her anxiety levels hitting the roof. The difference was subtle perhaps. Bella couldn't pin it down exactly, but there had been no hyperventilation and no fear of dying... which was definitely a first.

She sincerely hoped this all meant she was finally learning how to master her attacks. Though she knew it could very well just be a fluke thing. Either way, she'd come out of it rather quickly, so at least that was a step in the right direction…

"Do take anything for acute anxiety? Where do you keep your meds?" Edward interrupted her train of thoughts, motioning to her bag. "I've been looking, but I can't find-…."

She shook her head. "Stop, you won't find anything!"

"But I saw them, in that zip lock bag you carried with you that other time. Something Xanax-like, would be my guess…"

"I said stop! Stop looking," she snapped , her voice still a croak. "You have no rights to go through my belongings!"

"Sorry." He didn't say anything else after that. He just dropped the bag back down on the ground and took a step back, wringing his hands together in a nervous manner.

This had Bella thinking of Angela and what she had said about Edward. It was entirely possible that Edward was battling some kind of anxiety issues of his own.

Had he been trying to calm himself down by talking and counting aloud?

Was he, too, prone to panic attacks? What were the odds of that? But then again, it takes one to know one, isn't that what they say?

Either way, she had no other choice, but to trust him for the time being. It wasn't like she could outrun him in her current state.

The ground was cold and wet and mud was seeping through her clothes. Time was ticking. Charlie was on his way and could show up looking for her any minute… She didn't want him seeing her like this.

"Cullen, help me up!" she ordered.

"I-… You sure?" he asked, his eyes big and cautious. "I tried to catch you when you fell, but you freaked out when I touched you. And when I say freaked out, I mean totally and completely."

"Please, Edward." With the smallest of pauses, she put her hand up for him to grab on to.

He could have easily taken advantage of her while she was unconscious, but he had done no such thing. In fact, he had barely touched her, as far as she could recall.

'Why would he want anything to do with someone who is tense as a violin string and panics over every weird thing out there, you dimwit," her brain shouted at her.

She pushed that thought away with a scoff. "I don't think I can get to my feet on my own and if my father finds me like this, he'll have me committed to some crazy-person facility where I'll have to drink out of paper cups and use plastic silverware for the rest of my life."

He hesitated for a second. "I should be running in the other direction," he said, slowly taking her hand to carefully guide her up to standing. "I'm pretty sure I'd be the one getting locked up, if your father were to find out what just happened here. Chief Swan would send me off to some juvie boot camp for sure."

His hand was cold and clammy and the sensation brought her straight back to the first time they'd touched –on her very first day of school, when he'd crashed into her and almost knocked her down a flight of stairs. He'd been just as reluctant to touch her then as he was now. There was a strange sense of comfort in that thought. Even the ever present spark of static electricity felt comforting in a strange, but familiar sort of way.

"Honestly, my father wouldn't even notice your presence. He'd be too busy yelling at me for not taking my meds today," her voice still somewhat unsteady. "And when he finds out I don't even have them with me, he'll be all but livid."

To his merit, Edward merely raised an eyebrow at that. He didn't ask or push for more details.

"Zoloft for anxiety and hydroxyzine for panic attacks," she found herself explaining, without being asked to. "And I don't like taking them, because I feel they alters my character and I'm not fond of who I become on them."

She had to lean against the wall to stay upright, but that was okay. She felt tons better now that she was standing up.

"Okay, Swan." He moved his hands up to hold her upper arms, as if he was afraid she'd fall over if he let go. "I appreciate the honesty. I've had my fair share of breakdowns too, mostly when I was younger, but I'm sure you've already heard all about spreads like wildfire around this place."

"No, not a word about any breakdowns," Bella lied.

See, she could be nice too, when she wanted to…

"However, someone did tell me you flashed coach Clap your balls last year. Not sure that classes as a breakdown though… "

Ups! That came out of nowhere….

"You're cracking jokes. You must be feeling better," he snorted.

"I am, a little ," she agreed.

Edward was standing rather close to her, still holding her upright, but she was fine with that. And he seemed pretty relaxed about it too. Definite progress…

"Wait, you've got something…." He motioned at her face.

"What?"

"Dirt." He touched his own chin to indicate where.

Bella wiped at her face with the back of her hand. "Did I get it?"

"Not quite. Try more like this …" he motioned again.

She spat in her hand and tried again. "Better?"

"Eh…" he blanched. Then, he nodded. "Yep. Much better…all gone. I'm gonna stand over here while you fix your makeup… or whatever it is you need to do before facing the Chief…." He took a step back, but still kept one hand on her shoulder.

"You're a terrible liar," she snorted. "You nearly shit your pants when you saw me spit in my hand."

She reached her hand out as if trying to wipe it clean on his jacket. His immediate response was to try and dance away in self defense. This time however, the table had turned and he was the one cornered against the wall.

"Well excuse me, but human saliva is pretty disgusting. It's full of bacteria."

He pushed her shoulder ligthly to get her to take a step back. She wobbled a bit, still not entirely stable on her feet, but she held firm, not backing down.

Just then, of course, a group of guys came walking around the corner of the building. Bella though she recognized one of them from her Spanish class, but she couldn't be sure.

Various whistles and insinuativecomments were heard as the guys walked passed. Apparently, all sorts of wrong conclusions were drawn from seeing Edward Cullen being pushed up against a wall by the new girl.

Edward threw up his middle finger, shouting after them to mind their own f-ing business.

When they were alone again, he turned back to look at her. "Listen, I'm sorry for… whatever it was I did that scared you. I shouldn't have yelled at you and I shouldn't have grabbed you and dragged you here. It won't happen again, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," she nodded, not knowing what else to say. It wasn't like she was going to give him an opportunity to corner her like this again. She would have to make sure she stayed clear of him from now on out.

"I mean it. I would never physically hurt a girl. That's not in me. I know I flip and lose my temper easily, but that's not the same thing as-…

"What did I ever do to you in the first place?"she interrupted him. "Why were you so mad at me?"

"Never mind that now. We can talk about it tomorrow, or some other time. That's fine."

"NO, I wanna know. Was it because you saw I had Angie with me, when I was out smoking at lunch? You didn't want her, or anyone, to know?"

"It's pretty simple. You can't get caught doing shit like that on school grounds." He paused to draw a long, deep breath. "You probably haven't heard about this yet, but because of some stupid shit that went down here last year, the school now has a zero-tolerance policy about drugs." He was pinching the bridge of his nose, as if just talking about this was giving him headache. "It's not three strikes and you're out, it's more like one strike and you'll be suspended for a long ass time. Well, not you maybe, since you just got here and your record is clean, but-..."

"You have a prior record of suspension and now you're worried that if I were to get caught, I'd crack under pressure and rat you out." Bella guessed. She moved to lean against the wall next to him. Her legs still felt a bit like jelly.

"Something like that, yes. First of all, I've got a great relationship with my current… let's call him my 'supplier'. I don't want you, or anyone messing with my supply line. After last year's drug bust, things were shaky for quite a while…It sucked. Secondly, while I doubt the school board would expel me altogether, they could -and probably would- send me to an alternative school for a semester or two. I can't set foot in La Push, they'd gang up on me and beat me black and blue. Let's just say there is some bad blood there… The only other option, Port A, is one hell of a commute. I doubt homeschooling would be a hit with my parents. Seriously they'd go ballistic if I were to get suspended again. They'd take away everything I own. They'd force me to get rid of my car, my phone, my baby grand… I'd have nothing left - no privacy, no life outside school… no life—period. Yes I'm being whiney and over dramatic, but I just want to you to understand what's at stake here."

"I get the picture… Is that why you sent your brother over to my locker this morning, to do your dirty business for you? Because you can't afford to get caught with something like that in your possession? Even if it was just one mesely spliff?"

"No-… Okay yeah, that's why I had Emmett approach you. I shouldn't have bothered though. Either he screwed it up, or you simply didn't listen and I'm leaning towards it being the second. I specifically told him to tell you to WAIT until you got home and not do anything STUPID while still at school."

"I'm sorry, he did tell me to wait. But, seriously, have you guys forgotten where I live? I can't exactly light up a joint, or spliff, or whatever, with Charlie in the house. He's already busted me once. I'm not having that again, alright! You think your parents are bad… Imagine one of them being the freaking police chief!"

"Maybe you shouldn't smoke at all, have you thought of that?"

"Maybe you shouldn't either," she snorted. Talk about pot meeting kettle. "I like the therapeutic effects, alright… It comes with less nasty side effect than some of the other stuff I'm expected to put into my system."

"I warned you on your first day here, do you remember? About how the kids around this place are trading all sorts of pills like Pokémon cards… I don't care what you do on your spare time. Just don't bring your dope to school and don't drag anyone else into it, okay?! Especially not my siblings…"

"You're the one that brought it to school though!" she pointed out. "I'm sorry I didn't follow the instructions, but I mean it when I say I can't take anything with me over to my place. I'm still in trouble from getting caught that one time. And that was with Newton's crappy weed, that wouldn't get you high even if you smoked a ton of it. I don't even know why I'm explaining myself to you. This is stupid… I'm gonna leave now. I'm gonna go-…"

"You wanna know what angered me the most about the stunt you pulled today, Swan?" Edward said calmly, letting go of her shoulder to cross his arms over his chest. "You had to run around yapping about it to other people. You really don't know the meaning of the word discretion, do you?"

She narrowed her brows at him. "You mean Angela?"

"No. I mean Alice. Don't go to my sister with your nosy questions! She isn't gonna tell you squat, because she knows nothing."

"What do you mean? I haven't even breathed a word about-…. Oh." Suddenly, she realized what the note in her locker had been about. "Edward, I swear, I haven't done anything that would get Alice in trouble."

"You asked her who I 'buy' from, because apparently my stuff is first class. I know you had biology with her straight after lunch. She's told me all about the conversation you tried to initiate with her. So don't even try to deny it."

"I didn't ask her that! We were just talking—joking—about how Newton's body odor is as bad as the moldy weed he tries to sell."

It was the truth. Mike Newton sat in the row in front of them in that class and he'd just messed up the lab experiment. The result was of the rancid kind.

"Anyway, your sister said 'I wouldn't know anything about that' and I responded by saying something about how life's too short to mess it up with bad weed. But that's pretty much it. That's the entire conversation."

Well, there was that note from Alice that Bella had found later on, but Edward didn't have to know about that, now did he?!

"I don't believe you," he said flatly.

"Believe what you want. Your name was never mentioned."

"It better stay that way," he warned. "I just want to get through these next two years and get out of this hell hole forever."

"That's my plan too…" Bella sighed. "Listen, I won't breathe a word to anyone about what you're up to. But come on… Everyone already knows you get your stuff from 'Ponytail', anyway."

She pulled that one out of her ass, but her instincts were right, it seemed. 'Thanks Alice for the tip!'

"What?!" Edward looked like he was about to have a stoke. "What exactly have you been told?!"

"Ha, so I'm right? Honestly, it was just a lucky guess," she shook her head at him. "You just confirmed it for me. It wasn't that hard to figure you out. You only have like two friends around this place, or well three, if you count your brother. There is the blonde dude with the surfer- hippie-mermaid hair, Jasper something, I believe his name is…. And then, there is 'Ponytail'- the guy with the long dirty-looking ponytail and the stupid eyebrow piercing."

"That's James," Edward responded with a frown. Then he thought better of it and started to back paddle. "Who says it has to be someone at school, though? Several of the guys that went here last year are still around, doing the community college thing -…."

"Nah, my money is on 'Ponytail'," she interrupted him. "I know you shouldn't judge a person on their hair, but… at least Mermaid washes his. Ponytail looks greasy from head to toe. He seems questionable at best."

"You're wrong, but you're also treading on dangerous grounds right now. So just shut it!" Edward warned, as he once again confirmed, in a backward sort of way, that the info Alice had provided was, indeed, correct.

"Just chill, alright?!" Bella told him. "Your secrets are safe with me and I'll be even more careful about what I say around Alice. I promise."

"You better!" He still looked annoyed.

"You've gotta promise me one thing in return though," Bella added while she still had his full attention. "Don't touch me like that again! Don't grab me, don't jump me, don't corner me. I'm not kidding here. You got lucky this time. Things could have ended a lot worse. I don't normally snap out of it that fast, or that easily, you know."

He didn't have anything to say to that. So maybe he did know from personal experience what she was talking about. He was glaring though, so in other words, things were pretty much back to normal again.

"I have to go now," she said, pushing herself off the wall. "I'll… see you around," she added awkwardly, and nearly stumbled over her own feet as she stepped around him.

Edward looked like he wanted to keep arguing, but then simply shook his head. "Next time, don't leave home without your little Ziploc bag with pills and we won't have this problem again."

Then he surprised her, by coming to stand beside her, offering his arm to her. "I'll walk you. I swear, you're uncoordinated to the point where you make Bambi look steady on his feet."

"Careful now Cullen, people are gonna see us together and think we've been back here screwing our brains out or something," she warned, as she accepted his help.

"And that's bad for my reputation how exactly?"

"What would your precious 'supplier' think? Edward Cullen in cahoots with chief Swans daughter… That's one potentially sticky situation for you."

"Bella Swan, you shouldn't joke about stuff like that," he shook his head, disapprovingly.

"Yeah, and you shouldn't joke about my meds. Zoloft withdrawal is supposed to be almost on-par with heroin withdrawal. So excuse me for trying to cut down on them any way I can... "

"Touché," he agreed as they walked slowly towards the parking lot. "This is where we have to say goodbye, because I do value my life dearly and your dad is coming right at us with his gun drawn and-…."

"No, he's not. Nice try."

"Alright, he's not, but he's standing right there by his car. If he turns his head, he's gonna spot us, so…"

"Yeah alright, you can go," she said motioning with her hand for him to do so.

He responded by giving her a half wave before turning to leave.

Then, suddenly, he changed his mind. Turning around again, he stared at her for a moment, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Tuesdays are the best night to come over to the Cullen casa," he told her, seemingly out of the blue.

"Wha-…"

"My parents do 'date night' on Tuesdays every odd week of the month. The rest of us have the whole place to ourselves, with all what that means."

"Cullen, you should come with a whiplash warning! You've told me to stay clear of you and your siblings on more than one occasion, or did you forget about that?"

"Ever heard of 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer'?"

"Ever heard of 'staying in your lane and not worrying about what's going on outside of it'?" she shot back.

"Suit yourself," he shrugged. "You're the one that said life's too short to mess it up with bad weed."

He had her there.

Not waiting around for her response, he turned on his heels. Seconds later he had sprinted off in the direction of the main school building, leaving Bella alone to deal with her grumpy looking father.

Charlie Swan was leaning against the hood of his car with his arms crossed and his lips pressed into a thin line.

Oh joy! It was one of those days… He wasn't just a little grumpy. He was oozing grumpiness from every pore of his being.

..

.

 _ **AN: I just wanted to drop a note to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays for those of you celebrating Christmas next week, or Hanukkah this past week.**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**AN: Finally here it is Chief Swans press conference... It should answer a few questiobs**_ _ ** _but will_ undoubtedly raise a few more.  
**_

 **-=[ The past - Isabella Swan, 17 y.o.]=-**

 **24.**

 **General P.O.V.**

 **.**

The hastily called press conference was to be held at Forks police station, in a room that was much too cramped for the crowd gathered there. It was too late to do anything about that now however; as everything was already setup, and all that was left to do was to start the press conference.

The police had been close-lipped, releasing only a handful of brief statements over a time span of seven hours, but the interest was high all the same. Perhaps because the information gleaned from the police-scanner audio, spoke volumes.

A police dog had picked up on a scent and pulled its handler into the woods. A coroner had been summoned over the police scanner. And also, deputy Forge had been heard reporting 'sighting of blood' and 'one confirmed'. That pretty much sealed the deal. Everyone that had shown up for the press conference seemed to have leaped to the same conclusion. This wasn't just a case of an abandoned baby anymore; a dead body had been found in the woods on the outskirts of the little sleepy town of Forks.

One thing was clear, the town had never seen so many law-enforcement officials gathered in one place before. This, of course, led to even more speculations among the attendees waiting for the press conference to start.

Who was the deceased? If it was the mother of the baby, then why would the death of a presumably young teenage girl warrant all this hoopla? Was there a connection to something political? Or a long sought after criminal? A large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering business getting busted perhaps? The theories were many, some more far-fetched than others. Maybe, it was a wolf attack… maybe there was nothing connecting the two incidents together at all… They speculated in coded whispers; everyone had an opinion, but no one knew for sure.

It was evident that the police had severely underestimated the interest the events of the last seven hours would generate, not just in Forks, but in all the neighboring communities as well. The room where they usually held their press conferences had a capacity of about 80, and every available chair had long since been filled.

The murmuring from the crowd gradually grew in intensity as a door to the side opened and a handful members of the police force and a few other authority representatives filed into the room. Some of them took place behind the table at the front of the room, while some of them stayed in the back.

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and welcome to this press conference," a police woman, with a nametag that read 'Police spokesperson' along with her name, greeted everyone in the room, before she moved on to basic introductions, "I'm Officer Heidi Burns from the Seattle police department and to my right I have a man you might recognize; Forks Police Chief, Charles Swan. We are accompanied Dr. Clare Campbell, the chief of trauma at Forks General hospital, Officer Brady Fuller from the DEA Seattle division and finally, lead forensic investigator Paul Cooper, also from the Seattle department."

This brought on some surprised reactions from the reporters and several hands were raised.

"You'll get your chance to ask your questions later," Chief Swan spoke up a loud boom. "But, yes, we are working closely together with another police department AND also, the DEA on this case. That should tell you something about the severity of this all, folks."

Officer Burns waited until the room was quiet again. "Let's start with what we know for certain and then move on to talk about what the media and the general public can do to help the police with this matter."

She consulted her cue cards, before she continued. "Early this morning, a newborn baby was found abandoned in a dumpster behind the auditorium of the local high school, Forks High. Emergency dispatch got the call at 5:14 am by a local citizen who was taking a very early morning walk in the area. Two paramedics were first to arrive at the scene, closely followed by Deputy Waylon Forge of the local police department. The baby—a preemie, judging by its small size- was incubated and rushed to Forks General Hospital in an ambulance."

Again, hands were raised, indicating questions.

Officer Burns ignored them as she continued. "The condition of the baby is critical and will remain so for a few weeks, as it was born quite a bit prematurely. You'll hear more about this from Dr Campbell later on, but first Chief Swan will talk you through what has happened since the initial call came in this morning."

"Ah yes…" Chief Swan cleared his voice. "We believe the time of birth was approximately sometime between two and four o'clock in the morning. The baby was, deliberately and intentionally, moved to the dumpster AFTER birth." He lifted an index finger in the air as if to emphasize a point. "I'll repeat, we know that the baby was moved there post birth and that the place where the birth occurred is somewhere else entirely, someplace away from the school grounds."

"Sorry for interrupting," Officer Burns cut in. "The message we want to send to all the concerned parents in the area is that they can safely send their children to school come Monday. In fact, we want all students present for when Chief Swan visits Forks High to talk with them about the situation. This will take place first thing Monday morning."

"Yes, thank you," Chief Swan looked at her a bit exasperated by the interruption. "Er…as I was saying, the baby was moved, post birth and she-…" He cut himself off there to explain, "Yes, it's a girl; let's call her Baby X, for now. And when we say she is premature and small, we really DO mean small," he paused to indicate with his hands, just how small in size the baby was.

"So… back to where and how the baby was first found…. The baby was small, but also hypothermic, meaning she had a very low body temperature. This leads us to believe, she must have been out there, in that dumpster, for a while, possibly a couple of hours even."

Chief Swan paused for effect, stroking his mustache twice before he spoke again.

"Naturally, we have since then been working hard on both securing evidence in the area around the dumpster, but also going door to door, talking to people in the local community, to see if anyone knows anything. The status as of right now, is that we have yet to find the mother of Baby X. She has still not made herself known. The same goes for the father of the baby... Ideally we would like to speak with them both."

Once more, several hands were waving at the chief from the audience.

"Geez people, what part of 'questions later', don't you understand?!" He shook his head in bewilderment.

"Let's move on to mid-morning," Officer Burns suggested with a firm tone of voice. "Tell us what happened when we had two police dogs, and their handlers, arriving on the scene. These dogs are trained in detecting blood. Isn't that correct, Chief Swan?"

"Well, yes. That's correct. We call them PDs or sniffers. The sniffers and their handlers arrived around ten thirty. Their services were kindly loaned to us by our colleges in Seattle, as we do not have those kinds of resources here ourselves. What happened was that a PD by the name Jackson - a seven-year-old red cocker spaniel- picked up a scent, near the school grounds and followed it about three kilometers into the woods. That's were the second discovery of the day was made—that's where we found the place where we believe the birth took place. No wait, 'believe' is the wrong word to use. We know with 100 percent certainty that it's the place of birth."

"I'd like to take it from here," Captain Paul Cooper, the forensic investigator cut in, tapping at a few keys on the laptop before him. "If we can get the projector working, I'd like to show you the precise location on a map."

A green and blue picture appeared on the pull-down projection screen. Someone dimmed the lights in the room and the details on the screen became sharper.

"As you can see this is a body of water, surrounded by forest and densely vegetated, mountainous lands." Captain Cooper was circling an area on the map with a laser pointer. "It's a natural fresh water pond, quite big, about 50 meters long and 18 meters wide." He moved the pointer. "Now, here we have the school and this is where PD Jackson picked up the scent of blood and led us through the woods," he said, drawing a line between the school building and the pond on the map. "As I'm sure you already know, the closest trafficked road is over here. Now, this right here is an old service road, no longer in use. It ends with a flat open area, commonly used by hikers for parking their cars when they head out to hike the Reade hill trail, which I've heard is one of many great trails within the Olympic National Park. I'm sure you guys are more familiar with the area than me, right?" he asked, looking out over the crowd.

There was a murmur of affirmative throughout the room.

"Excellent. So, what happened was that a mass of blood and human tissue, believed to be placenta, was found near the water by the dog handler. I was called out to examine the crime scene– yes, it's to be considered a crime scene, we'll get to that in a sec. Upon closer inspection, we found traces of both amniotic fluid and not one, but two placentas. And this is why we can say with 100% certainty that this place, this little clearing by the pond is definitely where the delivery took place. "He held his hand up as if he expected there to be arguments and objections. "AND" he continued. "It was a twin birth."

A few whispers and surprised gasps were heard throughout the room. And of course a score of hands were waved frantically.

Captain Cooper ignored them all. "We found a fetus, a second baby, even smaller than the first one. Dead." There was a millisecond pause where everything went quiet in the room. "Time of death has yet to be established. We don't know whether it was a stillbirth, or a live birth followed by an early neonatal death. The remains have been transported from the site and we'll have to wait and see what further investigations will reveal." He closed his laptop indicating that he was done, for now.

"Okay, thanks," Officer Burns, the official spokesperson, took over again. "Over the next couple of days, Captain Cooper will lead a team of forensic examiners, conducting a thorough investigation of the two crime scenes. Both locations will remain taped off and guarded by the police. The weather is not cooperating at the moment, but as soon as the rain lets up a bit, we'll have the police dogs out again, hopefully covering as big of an area as possible while the scent is still fresh."

"Chief Swan and the Forks police department will continue doing door-to-door rounds, meeting and talking to as many people in the district as possible. We will be at Forks High on tomorrow morning speaking with the students, as previously mentioned. The school board asked us to pass along the message that they are in the process of setting up a crisis centre, as we speak. The students will be informed about this on at the gathering. Also, an anonymous tip line has been established."

She motioned for someone to bring something up to the front of the room. Seconds later, an officer in uniform came and taped a paper-sheet with a phone number onto the pull down screen.

"More about this later, though. Now, we're going to listen to what Dr. Clare Campbell, the chief of trauma at Forks General hospital has to say."

"Good afternoon," Dr. Campbell greeted the crowd of press, councillors and other city and authority staff members gathered before her. "As many of you local to the area already know, Forks general does not have a neonatal intensive care facility." She paused for effect.

"It's a shame. A city our size should provide health care for our most vulnerable citizens," she added pointedly, only to shake her head a second later. "I know what you're all thinking. Let's not turn this into politics. And I agree, we have far more urgent matters to discuss here today."

You could tell Dr. Campbell was not a trained public speaker, but she came across as professional and competent, speaking in a calm manner.

"I'm here to talk about our patient - 'Baby X' as Chief Swan so aptly named her. This is what we can share with you; we can confirm that we had an unidentified baby girl brought to our ER, early this morning. This is without a doubt a preterm baby we're dealing with here, born somewhere between 24-27 weeks, we think. The EMTs immediately established that the baby was suffering from hypothermia and NRDS, also known as newborn respiratory distress syndrome."

She took a few breaths, before continuing. "On admission we also detected signs of early onset of Neonatal Sepsis. Sepsis is simply put blood poisoning, or the body's, often deadly inflammatory, response to an infection. This is a particularly dangerous condition for premature babies, as they are born with an immune system that is not fully developed. This is one of several reasons why the condition of our patient is considered to be critical."

Dr. Campbell looked out over the audience. "Now, there are several possible scenarios how the baby could have contracted sepsis. This could for example be the result of a bacterial infection that was passed on from the mother. Or it could be the result PROM, short for pre-labor rupture of membranes, which is when the mother's waters- the amniotic sac—'breaks' more than one hour before the onset of labor. But it can also be the result of an unusually long time of labor, or labor that stops progressing. A rough delivery in other words, which -if I'm allowed to speculate a bit here- I'd say goes hand-in-hand with an unsupervised, twin birth taking place outdoors in the middle of the night." Dr. Campbell paused to drink some water from the glass on the table before her, letting her words sink in for a bit.

"It could be any of those scenarios…" she continued. "We have a newly-delivered mother out there that could be in pretty bad shape. Sepsis is one of the leading causes of direct maternal death. If anyone knows anything, contact the police A.S.A.P! Report what you know. Do it anonymously if you need to. There is a human life at stake here."

There was some rustling of people shifting in their seats.

"Yes, I know that everything points to a situation where the mother abandoned her newborn babies… but please, before you all get on your moral high horses, remember we know absolutely nothing about the circumstances that led her to do such a thing. It might not even have been the mother's own decision -…"

"Dr. Campbell," Officer Burns warned in a low but firm voice. "Enough speculations... How about you tell us what you know about Baby X's prognosis."

"Sorry," the doctor apologized without conviction. "The baby will need more care than we can provide at Forks General. The patient will therefore be airlifted to Seattle Grace, once she's stabile enough to survive the flight. Hopefully, this will happen before night fall, or possibly early tomorrow morning. Her condition is, as I've already mentioned, critical and she is on ventilator support because of her prematurity."

"Let's all keep her in our prayers. Can you give us a percentage of your patient's chances?" Officer Burns asked.

The doctor shook her head no. "I'm a general trauma doctor and surgeon. I can only hope she survives the next 24 hours so that the neonatal specialists in Seattle will get a chance to work their magic on this little girl. We know from experience that as long as there is life, there is hope. "

"Thank you Dr. Campbell. This leaves us with only one more person to hear from today. Officer Brady Fuller, from the DEA Seattle division, what do you have to add? What can you tell us? For starters, why is this case of interest for the DEA?"

"Alright, let's see…" Officer Fuller, scratched his head. "This - me being here today—was a decision made on very short notice. In fact, I made it to this press conference with only minutes to spare, which explains why I'm a bit underdressed for the occasion."

He gestured to his attire. He was the only one seated behind the table up front that was not wearing uniform, or a name badge of some sort.

"The reason this case is of interest for DEA in the first place, is because there are some coincidences here that correlate with another case we're working on. As you know, coincidences can be just that, coincidence, but they can also be part of something else, something bigger. I can't go into specifics, obviously, as we're talking about two ongoing investigations. What I can say, however, is that, yes, the case we're working on is, of course, drug related. I can also reveal that the area by the pond is of great interest for us. We want to perform our own exams after the forensic investigators are done with their work."

He looked over at the police spokeswoman, Officer Burns, indicating with a nod that this was all he was willing to share at this point.

"If that is all-…" she started saying.

"Wait, one more thing," Fuller cut in, as if something had just struck him. "We will bring in our own sniffers. So the general public can expect to see A LOT of police dogs in the area over the next couple of days. Don't be alarmed, these dogs are exceptionally well trained. If you have pets or farm animals that easily get scared or stressed out, you might want to keep them inside, if possible."

"Good point, Officer Fuller! Thank you." Officer Burns rose from her chair and stepped around to stand in front of the table.

"Ladies and gentlemen, members of the press and media present, we'll now take your questions."

A rapturous sea of hands rose to the air in a matter of seconds.

.

…

.


	25. Chapter 25

_**AN: Time for Esme to have a little chat with the girls.**_

.

-=[ The past, Isabella Swan, 17 y.o.]=-

25.

 _Esme P.O.V._

.

"Alice, you've got some splaining to do, young lady." Esme burst into her daughter's bedroom without knocking.

The curtains were closed and the blue glow of her computer lit one corner of the room.

"Who has been in my bathroom cabinet and why is-… Oh, hello Rosalie. I didn't expect to find you here. Didn't you go with Emmett to meet up with his friend?"

"No, it was raining and I've got a bit of a headache, think I'm coming down with a cold," young Rosalie Hale responded, attempting an innocent expression.

Esme, however, wasn't that easily fooled. "Cold my ass," she thought. The girl showed all the tell-tale signs of suffering from one heck of a hangover, as did all the kids, really (in various degrees, of course). However, she was fairly certain Rosalie wouldn't admit to anything of the sort.

Esme had known this girl for a year and a half now; ever since her oldest, Emmett, had first brought his Rosie home to meet the family. Even if the girl, at first impression, didn't come across as the warmest or friendliest person, she had since then proved she had other good qualities, such as personal integrity and absolute loyalty.

The real source behind Rosalie's headache was obvious. However, Esme saw no point in commenting on it at the time being. Rosalie would never tattle and get the others into trouble. And besides, Esme had bigger bones to pick.

"Alice, I'd like you to explain why I found THIS, between the cushions of the couch downstairs?" she demanded, holding up the empty, torn-apart box that had contained multiple packages of allergy medicine the last time she had seen it.

"I'm sorry mom, what?" Alice didn't even look up from her laptop. Instead she kept hitting various keys on the keyboard, muttering "Shit, buffering again… Ugh, so frustrating…"

"I'd like to know why my bathroom cabinet appears to have been raided. This is important, Alice!"

"Can it wait? Because we are rather busy... and this is important too, like really, REALLY important, so…."

"Busy doing what? What exactly is it that you girls are doing?"

Now that her eyes had adjusted to the dim light of the room she could see that apart from Alice's laptop, there was also an IPad up and running… AND both girls also had their phones out next to them and kept checking them every few seconds.

"The press conference, mom," Alice answered her question impatiently. "We're watching the press conference… or trying to anyway… "

"What? You can watch it live? Who's broadcasting, is it the Gazette?"

"No, Angela Webers' cousin's friend's sister's boyfriend works for The Daily Olympian. He's got a Facebook live video feed set up, but it's buff-…. Oh wait, now it's up again!"

Morbid curiosity had Esme stepping closer to the bed.

She already had a pretty good idea what would be revealed during this press conference, seeing as she had spoken to chief Swan only fifteen or so, minutes ago. And also, she fully expected her husband to give her a thorough run down of the entire thing, once he returned from actually attending said press conference. Still, she stood there with her heart drumming against her chest, indecisive, as the sound of voices came from the laptop on the center of the bed.

"Can I….?"

"Shhh! Yeah, of course mom. You can sit here. "Alice pulled her legs up making room for her mother on the mattress in front of the laptop.

.

….

.

"Anderson, Tahoma Live News. Chief Swan, can you tell if the woman was alone, or with someone?"

"At the time she gave birth to those babies, you mean? No, it's too soon to say anything about that for sure. However, we do find it highly unlikely that this woman, post birth, would have been in any condition to walk all that way through the woods, climb inside a dumpster with Baby X, and then successfully go into hiding, putting herself somewhere safe, where no police dogs have been able to sniff her out. While it's not impossible that this is the work of one lone woman, I'd say I find it more likely that there was at least one more person present, to help her with this."

"Next question."

"I'm Mia Mckenzie, from the Forks Gazette. I'd like to know how the police can be so sure the mother is local and not some tourist, or some other random person passing through our town."

"Obviously, we can't know that for sure, but everything points towards it being someone with knowledge about the area. Even if a lot of hikers use that service road for parking, and knows about the pond, they are not marked out on any of the official tourist maps. With all the rain we've had lately it is a little muddy out there. This is my personal opinion, but I'd say you're gonna need a bit of local knowledge if you're out walking in the dark and trying to get from the old service road to the pond and then continue through the woods to Forks High without getting stuck in the bog, or getting lost along the way."

"There are such things as flashlights and GPS, you know," objected the journalist.

"And there are-…"

Just then a hand obscured the view for a second and then the picture zoomed slightly, before everything went black.

"No!" Alice muttered. "No, no no…"

"Ugh, not now…. I really wanted to hear the rest…" Rosalie groaned and sat up beside Alice on the bed. "Try refreshing the page!"

"I am. It's not helping."

"Uhm… what happened?" Esme inquired, checking the time on her watch, realizing that a good that half-an-hour had flown by, just like that. Where did that time go? Modern technology was equal part amazing and terrifying… not to mention often ethically questionable in many ways.

What had made her think it was a good idea to watch that live stream to begin with was beyond her – especially seeing as she'd let the girls watch it too. In hindsight, that had not been her most sound decision. Perhaps she should have her head examined…

Oh hey, for a minute there she'd almost forgotten what she did for a living, funny that… Clearly she'd been on sick leave a bit too long…

"I think Angela's cousin's friend's sister's boyfriend just got busted and got his camera confiscated," Alice said with an unhappy sigh.

"Wasn't it her cousin's friend's boyfriend's sister?" Rosalie argued, rubbing her forehead.

"We'll talk more about the press conference when your father gets home, but speaking of getting busted," Esme took the opportunity to get back to her originally planned line of questioning. "I have some questions for you, Mary Alice Cullen. For starters, who raided my bathroom cabinet? Why does the new area rug in the living room smell like puke and why are there no plants in the foyer?"

"Moooom," Alice whined. "This is unfair, you ambushing me like this, when you know my brothers are the worst offenders. "

"Don't mom me, and 'offenders', really? Does this mean you admit things happened here this weekend that shouldn't have happened?"

"No, what I'm saying is, historically speaking, who is most likely to puke on furniture or rugs, me or Emmett?"

It didn't escape Esme's notice that her daughter mouthed 'save me' to her friend.

Rosalie, bless her heart, merely shrugged in a 'serves-you-right' kind of way. She probably didn't appreciate Alice's attempt to throw her brother under the bus.

"Actually, I think it was Taylor who barfed underneath the coffee table," Rosie offered with another shrug as she got up from the bed. "If you don't need me for anything, I'm gonna go lay down in Em's room for a bit."

"Thank you Rosalie, but please stay put. I want to talk to the both of you about what you've been up to these past two days."

"But-…" Both girls started to protest at the same time.

"No buts and no excuses. This will go so much more smoothly if you just answer my questions truthfully, with no attitude. Am I making myself clear, girls?"

Waiting for them both to nod, she donned a serious expression on her face and looked back and forth between them.

"Alright, how many people did you have over? And was it just last night, or was it open house here Friday night as well?"

"Only Saturday, but I'm not the one-…

"Alice, how many?" Esme repeated sternly.

"Not that many."

"Mary Alice Cullen."

"Stop with the middle name… I only invited like 20 people, but then some other people, that don't even go to our school, got wind of it and things got a bit out of hand."

"Rosalie, is this correct?"

The blond girl nodded. "There were a lot of people here and like Alice said a lot of them showed up uninvited. There was a moment when I thought the whole thing was gonna turn into one giant fight, but nothing happened," Rosalie offered as means of explanation. "Some stayed, some went home, but the spirit remained friendly and… well cordial."

"Yeah, mom. I meant 'out of hand' in a good way. It was supposed to be a small, intimate party, but it turned into a big, 'everyone-was-there' kind of affair… Rosalie is right though, nothing happened… the night ran smoothly and everyone had a good time."

"Well, something DID happen. You saw the press conference earlier. An unaided twin birth in the woods just a short bit from here, is not what I'd call 'nothing'."

"But we don't-…" Alice started protesting.

"And NO, it didn't go smoothly…and not everyone had a good time last night. One baby did not make it and the one that did, is hooked up to machines to stay alive. Neglecting to seek medical attention for a newborn child is not just risky for the health of both mother and child–it can also lead to serious criminal charges. Child abandonment is never something to take lightly."

Alice's eyes had grown into saucers. "What happened to those babies is tragic, mom. It really is. I get that," she said bowing her head to her chest whilelooking appropriately sad. "I just don't see how it has anything to do with us… like on a personal level."

"It happened practically on our doorstep, on the very same night you girls had every teenager in town over for your intimate, 'everyone-was-there' house party. The mother may very well be someone you know, someone you go to school with. Someone that was here at your party even..."

"I haven't seen anyone around school looking remotely pregnant though, " Alice commented, her brows furrowed. "I mean, I know there are ways to hide it, like with bigger and looser clothes and stuff, but sill-…"

"Can someone really be 24 weeks pregnant without showing… like at all?" Rosalie cut in, making a sweeping pregnant-belly gesture. "I mean, if she was carrying twins, wouldn't she have been quite big….."

"Every pregnancy is different, just like every woman is different. It's not entirely uncommon that a really young, expectant mother can get to her third trimester without having much of a belly. "

"Really?"

"She'd be gaining weight, for sure, especially with twins, but she would not necessarily get the typical, big, rounded pregnant belly until the very last stage of her pregnancy. It has to do with the tightness of the abdominal muscles and well… you young girls having faster metabolism than us older ladies. However, even if she has been watching her weight and hiding her secret behind layers of clothes, her body would still change quite a bit in other areas that are just as telling as a big rounded belly. For example she would probably get a fuller face and perhaps wider hips and, most definitely a bigger fuller bust… Are you sure you haven't seen anything…?"

"I don't go around staring at other girls breasts, mom. You should speak with Em about that one. Sorry, Rose," Alice hurried to add, before continuing. "But seriously, I still don't think it's someone from school. Maybe, it's someone home schooled, or someone from Port A, or the school on the reservation, or someone older… I don't know-…"

"Why can't they just swab all the girls at school and be done with it," Rosalie suggested. "The boys too… I mean, they got DNA from the babies to compare with. It should be a piece of cake."

"They could and yes, it may come down to that. However, most students at Forks High are still minors. They'd need written permission from each girl's - or each student's- parents before they collect any DNA and-…"

"And say no more," Rosalie snorted. "Sounds like an administrative nightmare."

"Something like that, yes," Esme agreed with a sigh. "Listen, you heard what the doctor said at the press conference. It's not just the baby that is in a critical condition. Sepsis is one of the leading causes of direct maternal death. If you hear anything, even the slightest suspicion, I want you to tell someone –me, dad, the police, the school nurse… Just tell someone. Do it anonymously, if you have to. It can be a matter of life and death."

"Of course." Alice was nodding.

"Even if it means sending a girl your own age, friend or frenemy, to… well, not jail probably, but some sort of correctional, or treatment facility, it's still better than saying nothing and sending her into the clutches of death."

"Now you're being over dramatic, mom. We really don't have the slightest clue who it could be. Right, Rose?"

"Yeah, I can't think of anyone that could have been pregnant," Rosalie responded,but her eyes kept darting towards her friend every other second. Sending out some sort of silent warning, perhaps….

"Are you sure Rosalie?"

"There are always rumors," Alice cut in. "If those were true, Stanley should have had a dozen babies by now. Lauren too… and a few others. Oh, and Victoria has supposedly done at least two abortions. She has scars that can only be the result of multiple surgical procedures, or liposuctions… "

"Vicky had her appendix taken out when she was twelve, the incision got infected and they had to cut her open a second time. Everyone knows this, yet they still spread those nasty rumors about her. That's just high school for you," Rosalie said, picking at her nails.

"Like I said, if you know anything, or if you hear anything, anything at all, you can always come to me, or dad. That goes for you too, Rose. In this family we'll always try to be supportive and keep the lines of communication open. We're all humans and we all make mistakes. Consider this your 'Get out of Jail Free' card," she told them with as much sincerity and honesty as she was capable of. "It can be applied on present situation, but also on any future pregnancy related situations that may arise... Just putting that out here now so you know how I feel about this. Even if it's scary, don't wait too long to tell someone… Delaying getting proper medical care can sometimes lead to dire consequences, such as infertility or recurrent miscarriages later on in life."

She hesitated for a bit before adding, "Life is precarious, and life is precious. Don't presume you will have it tomorrow, and don't waste it today."

"That's deep mom. Does this-… I mean, it's about what happened to you, isn't it? It's about the baby YOU lost?" Alice asked, eyeing her cautiously, as if worried the mere mention would be too upsetting.

There was not much about this whole situation, that wasn't upsetting. However, she would not let herself be dragged into the depths of loss and grief again. Instead, she plastered on a neutral expression and with a nod, she said, "It's a quote that's been stuck on my mind ever since first I read it. It's by theologian John Piper, I believe."

"You think you'll try again? Try for another baby, I mean? I know it wasn't planned… I know you didn't think it was even possible, but evidently it was and evidently you two still have sex, despite your advanced ages and all."

"Hey now, I just turned 43, not 85," Esme objected playfully, even though her heart wasn't really in it. "Your dad on the other hand…he's getting old. You should see the amount of grey hair he has on his back-…."

"That's gross, mom."

"To give you an honest answer, when you get to be my age, there are no grantees that you can get pregnant to begin with. And with me only having one functioning fallopian tube, my odds of conceiving naturally is even lower than for most women my age… In fact, the only time we have managed to see a pregnancy toterm was by conception through IUI."

"Yeah, I remember that; me and Eddie, two sperms stuck in the same test tube…" Alice joked. "Fun times…"

"If I do get pregnant again, there are no guarantees that I could go full term and give birth to a healthy baby. There are a lot of uncertainties and risks to take into consideration. Your dad and I talked a lot about the future this weekend. What we want to do next… whether or not we still want to expand our family. And if yes, then how? Specifically, we talked about the adoption process, we started almost on the day a year ago, and how to proceed with that."

"And?"

"And we've decided that we want to resume our efforts to get to know Bree. We want her to come spend time with us, get familiar with this house and get to know us as a family. We'd love to tell her that it is our intention to adopt her… "

"Yay, I'm getting a sister at last! This is great news! Isn't it, Rose?"

"Of course. One does not negate the other, though. Does it?" Rosalie asked, looking genuinely confused. "I mean, just because you're adopting doesn't mean you have to stop trying to conceive another baby? I can't believe I'm actually encouraging my boyfriend's parents to keep having sex, and unprotected at that, but..."

"Oi, stop right there," Esme laughed. "Perhaps we will, perhaps we won't… This reminds me of the other thing we need to discuss here today, girls."

"What's that? The birds and the bees? Because we've already had that talk ages ago..." Alice objected.

"Consider this a repetition course then. You girls are safe, right? Rosalie, I know you're on birth control, but you should be using condoms as well. There's no such thing as being too careful."

"Eh, thanks, but we… eh… we've got it covered."

"Do you really, though? Because I can talk to Emmett, if you like-… "

"Mom, please," Alice interrupted, putting her hand over her ears. "Do I need to listen to this?!"

"And you, young lady, it is time to see a gynecologist. I'll set up an appointment for you A.S.A.P. Last time we spoke about this, we agreed to respect your wish to avoid unnecessary use of hormonal methods of birth control. It was a decision we made based on the fact that you said you weren't sexually active, and because you weren't serious about anyone you were seeing at that time. You swore to us you'd tell us if either of those two things changed. "

"Mom, please…"

"But that was then and now is now. You and Jasper has been dating for a while now. I know you're smart enough to figure out how to work a condom, but accident happens and like I told Rosalie, there's no such thing as being too careful. "

"I'm sorry you had to find out about me and Jasper from someone other than me, but if this is punishment-…"

"I'm not punishing you. I'm simply looking out for you. We should have had this talk months ago, but my head's been elsewhere. I've been preoccupied with my own situation. I'm sorry."

"Okay," Alice bowed her head. "I'm sorry too. I'm glad I have parents that are 'normal'… And by normal I mean, not overly strict, or old-fashioned, or scary to talk to. You guys both being in the medical field do tend to make it a bit weird though. Like I don't need visuals to know what smoking does to your lungs... And you don't have to show me slideshows of what long time drugs use does to your face… Believe it or not, but we already get those lectures in school… "

"How about this for a lecture… Using two methods of contraceptives during your most fertile teen years is how you avoid 'oopsie' babies and also STd's, or like in my case, that's how I could have avoided losing a fallopian tube due to an ectopic pregnancy at seventeen. By the way, keeping track of safe days do not count as a reliable method of contraception, just saying… "

"Sorry mom. I thought we still blamed Dad for that one," Alice said, looking mildly peeved. "High school ski trip to Canada," she stage whispered to Rosalie. "Dad was skimping on condoms. He was trying to save up money for concert tickets or something like that…"

"It was a leather jacket," Esme cut in. "He already had the tickets, but he wanted an authentic, cool-looking leather jacket to wear to the concert to impress his date - which by the way wasn't me. It was some older chick, an older sister of one of his friends that was coming home from college for the holidays. He thought he'd have a shot with her if he changed his looks to appear older and more mature. He even stopped shaving…not a pretty look… Anyway, he'd been planning it for months. Needless to say, I dumped his sorry ass the minute I found out about this…"

Esme looked around to see if they were still listening. Content, she carried on. "Fast forward about eight weeks for the gruesome part. I remember waking up in the morning being in pain. It was a strange kind of pain. A swelling sensation in my abdomen and bleeding. I thought it was my period, coming early again for the second time in two months. Well, it wasn't… I got a fever and started vomiting and the pain got progressively worse until I had to be taken to hospital in an ambulance. I woke two days later with a 10-out-of-10 pain and stitches across my stomach. And if you want visuals, I still got photos somewhere of what my incision looked like fresh out of surgery… "

"Thanks, but we're good," Rosalie was quick to respond. Shaking her head she added, "But please DO tell, what happened next? I hope you didn't take him back straight away?!"

"Hell no-.. I mean, heck no. I made him grovel for months afterwards to redeem himself… All our college applications were already sent in and we both got accepted to our first pick, which of course landed us in the same city at the same school. Same dorm even, but different floors. We had been planning on going there together after all… as friends. He really was my best friend first before he was anything else… and eventually, I did take him back as a friend… but still dated tons of other guys to make him suffer. It went on like that for a while until I realized that I was hurting myself just as much as I was hurting him. So there you have it…I married him, divorced him and married him again. The sense moral of this; don't skimp on condoms –and use them for sex, don't waste them on making balloon animals. Is that understood?!"

She waited until the girls nodded their heads. "And Alice, one day, you'll have kids on your own and you will be giving them all the same lectures your father and I've been trying to give you -about not doing drugs and staying safe – and a few additional lectures, I'm sure."

"Yeah well, that may be true, but I'm not having any kids anytime soon, so… I'm glad we had this chat and cleared the air and all, but can we not do this in a loooong while, please and thank you."

"Of course, I'll leave you now to think this over. I have dinner to get started on. We can talk more tonight," Esme took a step towards the door, then she stopped.

"I'll let you know when your father and I have decided on a punishment for your 'anything-but-intimate, big, little get-together'. In the meanwhile, Alice, you can consider yourself grounded."

"That's not fair!"

"If it makes you feel better, Edward will be getting the same punishment and the same safe sex lecture, as soon as your father gets back here."

"Okay, that DOES make me feel better. Tell dad to remind Edward again that using more than one condom at the same time is a bad idea… and that most girls don't find latex gloves a turn on during sex

"You'd be surprised, Alice. You'd be surprised," Esme snorted. "But seriously, it's not nice to make fun of your brother for his fear of germs and his… other issues."

"He doesn't deserve nice. He wasn't nice to me this morning when I needed his help cleaning up the me-.. or well, tidying up this place from last night's little get together. Ask Edward what happened to your plants, by the way… And I'm pretty sure he can tell you who raided your bathroom cabinet too."

"That's enough." Esme held up her hands. "I hear a car on the driveway. That's probably your father returning."

"Actually," Rosalie spoke up. "Could be the boys just as well. They were only going over to James' place to collect something. They should be back any minute now."

"I'll go and have a look." Esme said moving towards the door again. Then, she remembered something.

"Oh, I almost forgot," she said, turning back to Alice. "Can I suggest, you invite Isabella to come over for dinner? In fact I must insist you do. Call her for me, will you? Her father will be working nonstop for the next couple of days, so she could probably use some company. We'll be eating at seven. Tell her I'll be making lasagna. She likes my lasagna. Also, tell her she can stay the night, if she wants to. That's fine by us."

"I will let her know. She probably won't be interested in coming over right now though."

"Oh, and why is that?"

Alice sighed, like the answer was obvious. "The rain, mom," she explained. "Charlie isn't home to give her a ride and I'm grounded, remember? I mean, obviously, Rose and I don't mind swinging by her place to pick her up. If you let us we could-..."

"Nice try, but nope. I'll pick her up myself, if necessary. Or, if she like she can bring her boyfriend along for dinner. Jake is it? He's got a car, doesn't he?"

"Eh, Jake's got a car alright, but no driver's license." Rosalie snorted. "He doesn't turn sixteen until the end of December, I believe."

"Also, he's not her boyfriend." Alice added matter of factly.

"They broke up?"

"It's complicated, mom. According to Bella it's never been anything serious between them. She hangs out with him from time to time, but it has never been exclusive, no real feelings or whatever... If you ask Jake, however, he'll tell you a completely different story," she explained. "He brags about her to his friends. Apparently, it's a big deal to them that she's older and stuff. Gives him bragging points."

"That doesn't sound very nice. Maybe he SHOULD come by here so we can talk with him."

"Mom, don't!" Alice cautioned. "That would only embarrass Bella. She likes to think she's independent and doesn't need anyone looking out for her."

"Everyone has moments when they need someone."

"I know. But we can't go behind her back, she hates that! She knows what Jake's been up to. It's not the first time he's done it. Let her deal with it her way."

"Well, I'd hate to see her being treated badly... or treating herself badly. She's such a bright and thoughtful person, yet she doesn't seem to notice the good things she has going for her, like her smarts or her pretty smile… her great sense of humor…"

"I know that, I'm her friend, remember? When we hang out, me and Bella, it's because she wants to be around me, and not because she feels obligated to. No offence. I know she genuinely likes you, mom, but you're essentially someone that gets paid by -and reports back to- her dad. Yes, I know I'm not supposed to know about that, but I do know so… Actually, you're not even reporting anything back to anyone anymore, are you? Unless of course… Mom, are you getting back to work? Will you start seeing patients again?"

"I'll be giving it a try. My body is all healed and I've come a long way with… well, my grieving process. So, yes, I'll be easing back into work again. I'm starting off slow though. I'll only work a few hours a week. I want you to know that I've made a conscious decision to try and be more in the present, focusing on the people I'm with and not on the ghosts in my head. The holiday season is coming up in a bit and hopefully this means we'll be spending more time together as a family… And spending time with Bree."

"That's good, mom," Alice said, while signing 'love you', with her hands.

Esme signed back 'love you more'.

It had been ages since they'd looked through the 'The Everything Sign Language Book' together. She definitely needed to find the book and dust off again. She wondered briefly where it had gone, she hadn't seen it in months… Tomorrow, she decided firmly. Tomorrow she would look for it.

"Now, I better get started on that lasagna."

.

….

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 ** _AN: Did you see that Bree-Cullen-connection coming? Bree was living with the Webers while her father was serving jail time. It was mentioned in a previous chapter that adoption plans were in the works for her, but that the plans fell through._** ** _Technically the plans were put on hold after Esme suffered her miscarriage and needed time to grieve and heal after the loss of the baby. Understandably, as it was an unplanned, but very much wanted (and slightly miraculous) pregnancy, that ended in tragedy. As fate would have it, the adoption plans were later on permanently halted (for reasons yet to be revealed). It has also been mentioned that the father eventually had a change of mind and showed up at the Weber's one day to collect his daughter. This plotline will be revisited later on._**


	26. Chapter 26

_**AN: Next up are a couple of Bree chapters. I'll try to get them out in quick succession. After that Carlisle wants to have his turn at getting some truths out of the kids as he returns home from the press conference. He'll invite Ed & Em into his office for some stern talking. It will go down in similar fashion as Esme's little chat with Alice and Rose…**_

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-=[ Isabelle Higginbotham, the present]=-

26.

.

"Her brothers…?" Bella said, trailing off.

"…comes with quite the track record, yes. Car theft, illegal transfer of vehicle license plates and illegal possession of drugs," Mike Newton answered. "Embry has managed to stay out of prison and now holds a steady job at the timber transport terminal. Laurent has served time for violation of probation on a drug possession conviction. He's been out for six months now. I don't think he has a job… not that I've heard of anyway. "

They were in Newton's car on their way out to the saw mill farm where Bree Tanner lived with her father and her two brothers. It was Bella's suggestion they'd head out there together and Mike had agreed it was probably for the best that he came along to handle the introductions.

"And the old man Tanner? What's the word on the street? Is he still dealing?" Bella asked, trying to prepare herself for what she was about to get into. Chances were that her visit would not be a welcome one.

"No, not to our knowledge. There were rumors about a meth lab, but we've kept an eye on him and have yet to catch him doing anything worse than speeding."

"How is his relationship with his daughter? How is he taking this all?"

"Tanner? He was shocked at first, threw a chair across the waiting room, but he calmed down after a while. From what we've seen, he's been on his best behavior around the girl."

"That doesn't mean much though, seeing as you've only allowed him supervised visits so far."

"Well…" he scratched his head. "That's true."

"And you say the records show that she's a bright kid, no troubles in school," Bella continued. "She seems like a well-adjusted, well-rounded kid. Have you interviewed any of her friends?"

"Her friends?" Mike echoed the word as if it was foreign to him and frowned. "Not really, no. She's a bit of a loner, not that many friends to speak of. Understandable, perhaps, considering her handicap and also, the farm is located quite far out… makes her a bit isolated when she's not at school."

"What about her medical history? No signs of any underlying mental or emotional disorders. Anything else, I should know about? Any records of injuries or concerns?"

"Hm? "Mike looked up from the road quickly to ask, "You mean things like broken bones, bruises and head injuries?"

"Yes."

"She had a broken arm over the summer. And also, the school has reported some alarming bruising on two different occasions in the past. It's been investigated by Social Services."

"And?"

"And nothing. There were satisfactory explanations given. No wrong doing or neglect could be proven. Everything checked out."

"Riight… What were those explanations, if you don't mind me asking? I'd like to hear them."

"Is not as dubious as it sounds. The broken arm was the result of a rather nasty fall. I can personally attest to this, as I happened to be around to witness this particular incident with my own two eyes. I'm sure if you speak with the new caseworker he can dig up both mine and the girl's statement about it."

"Right, I'll do that." Bella nodded. "What about the two cases of bruising?"

"Caused by the dogs, I believe…"

"Her dog?"

"No, her father's dogs. Tanner loves to hunt and has several largish dogs that he hunts with. Don't ask me about the breed cause that's something I never have a clue about. They are powerful and strong minded and the girl simply isn't physically big or strong enough to manage them on leash."

"Okay, I assume the caseworker can confirm this as well."

"Yes, of course."

"I'd like to speak with her teacher, Emily Young, too, if that's alright?"

"Sure… why though? I'm not trying to talk you out of it, or anything. I'm just curious how you think that will help. I mean, your job is to get the girl to talk."

"My job is to get the girl to trust me enough to open up to me. In order to accomplish this I need to learn more about who she is and what I can do to make her comfortable and at ease."

"Okay, good answer," Mike threw her an approving nod. "Just remember, you can't tell anyone about the assault and her medical status. We don't want that to become public knowledge."

"I know. I'll be careful with what I say. I'd also like to speak with some of the students from her school. I'll ask her teacher if there is anyone in particular I should speak to. "

"You'll need the parents' permission, before you speak with any minors. Let me know which ones and I'll sort it out for you… as long as it's not half the school or anything…"

"Thanks, Mike."

"You know what, you should probably speak with a few people over at the Newton's too, my wife included"

"Why is that?"

"Well you know, we've had a lot of school kids working for us throughout the years. Bree Tanner is one of them. One of the youngest we've ever taken on, actually. She restocks shelves and handles the daily cleaning of the store. It's been working out pretty well."

"Huh? I didn't know that. How did that come about?"

'And why?' she wanted to add, but refrained by biting her tongue. A girl that young wouldn't typically go looking for a job unless she was highly motivated to do so…. or pushed on by her parents.

"How it came about?" Mike repeated the question back to her. "Well… she came into the store after school one afternoon and pointed at the 'help wanted' sign and started gesturing with her hands, like she was writing with a pen. I believe she was eleven at the time and simply too young, but my wife didn't want to discourage her for taking up such a brave and forward-thinking initiative, so she had her fill out the usual form we give all applicants. Fast forward a couple of years, and now she actually DO work for us — with her father's permission, of course..."

"So, you and your wife must know her quite well then?"

"Not really, there's the language barrier, you know… I've always been a people person, as I'm sure you remember from when we went to school together. I enjoy talking to just about anyone, but it's difficult to strike up a conversation when you get nothing in return. "

"Ah, of course, Mike - the people person… I actually DO remember that about you," she deadpanned, rolling her eyes internally.

Mike simply grinned at her and continued talking. " I can't say I know Bree Tanner, but from what I've heard from my wife, the girl's shaping up to be a good employee. She's awfully quiet, for obvious reasons, but she's also a quick learner and hard worker. She even insisted on coming to work while her broken arm was healing… no calling in sick, no slacking on the job. Now that's good work ethics."

Perhaps, but it kind of raised red flags in Bella's mind. It was quite telling that the girl would rather work than spend her late afternoons/early evenings at home. Of course, it could be that she was simply saving up money with a specific purchase or goal in it could be that she was looking for ways to avoid something, or someone... Unusual reluctance or fear of going home after school could indicate issues on the home front.

Bella kept those thoughts to herself though. This wasn't the time or the place to be too pushy or ask too many questions.

She couldn't afford to come across as too nosy or unprofessional – not in front of Mike and definitely not in front of Eleazar Tanner. She was simply heading out to the farm to introduce herself, ask a few general questions and to speak to Tanner about Bree's dog.

.

..

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 ** _AN: I've forgotten to mention that I've uploaded a banner (or two) for this story._**

 ** _The first one is a bit spoilish, but the second one is 'safe'._** _ **There are links in my profile to both of them**_


	27. Chapter 27

_**AN: Here's Bree's dad. Charming old man…**_

 _ **.**_

-=[Isabelle Higginbotham, the present ]=-

27.

.

Eleazar Tanner was a weathered, but still striking-looking man that most people would guess was around fifty. Bella knew he was older than that though. What gave his age away were the many strands of gray mixed into his dark brown –nearly black –hair.

"I've been warned about you," he said bluntly, as he greeted Bella at the door.

"Is that so?" she asked, glancing back at Mike Newton, who was shrugging behind her.

"I've heard 'things'," Tanner turned on his heels, walking further inside the house, not bothering with pleasantries.

Newton was nudging Bella's back, telling her to follow.

"You're one of those young, wide-eyed feminists who think their ends justified any means..." Tanner continued, not bothering to look behind, to see if she was still within hearing distance.

"… a wonna-be Woman Rights Protector advocating for a safer, more equal and just world for young girls worldwide."

"Sounds like whoever you've been speaking to doesn't know me all that well." Bella objected, mostly to have something to say.

"So, are you saying you do not advocate for the rights of young girls?" he asked, turning around to fix her with a penetrating look.

"I want to live in a world where ALL children have the same opportunities to grow and flourish," she answered him pointedly.

"Don't we all," Officer Newton, chimed in, flashing a disarming smile.

"Of course. I stand corrected," Mr. Tanner said graciously, clearing a kitchen chair of papers and mail so Bella could sit down. "It's not every day you have a Child Rights Protector at your table, a pretty one at that. Can I get you anything? Water? Beer? Soda?"

"No. I'm good, thank you."

"You sure?" he asked opening the fridge, getting two bottles of beer, before closing it.

She watched him twist the lids off both bottles, handing one of them to Newton, who had taken a position, leaning against one of the kitchen's well-worn butcher-block counters.

There was an impressive collection of knives on the wall-mounted magnetic rack above the counter - the tools of an avid hunter who knows how to properly prepare the meat he brings home. Somehow she doubted Tanner did his own cooking and cleaning though…

Perhaps he had a housekeeper? She knew he wasn't married and there were no signs of him having a girlfriend living with him. In fact, there weren't many signs of a female presence in the house at all. Or any signs of anyone under the age of 25 living there, for that matter. The place lacked the warm homely feel of a family place simply looked and felt masculine, through and through.

"Not even one of those girly, zero sugar, diet coke?" he tried again.

"No, I'm good," she repeated, giving Mike a raised eyebrow as she saw him take a swig from the beer. The day was still young and he was most definitely still on duty. He just shrugged and smiled back at her, setting the bottle down on the counter behind him. He seemed awfully at home in this kitchen, like he'd been there once or twice before. She would have to ask him about that later.

"Listen, I know why you're here. I have given my approval to this…. experiment, after all ." Mr. Tanner said, putting extra emphasis on the world 'experiment'.

"Bree is my daughter, a minor in my care. I have obviously failed to pay her the appropriate amount of attention. None of this would have happened if I'd been a more observant father," he continued. "Now, I'm sure you have questions and while I know I should be cooperative, I don't, particularly like having strangers poking noses into my business."

"So, in other words, you're too keen on answering any questions," Bella concluded. "It's understandable. I know you've already spoken with the police and given your statement. I'm not going to waste time. Yours or mine. I simply came out here to introduce myself-..."

"I didn't say I wouldn't answer your questions. However, I reserve the right to end this whenever I see fitting. Relevant questions only. I'm not gonna sit here and listen to nonsense. I hate chit-chatting."

"Alright, let's jump right in then." She sat up straighter in her chair and dragged a hand through her hair. This all had gone easier than she'd expected.

"Did you, by any chance, notice anything unusual in your daughter's appearance or behavior last week? Did she seem… tired? Distressed? Lethargic? Or show any signs that she wasn't feeling well?"

"No, she was perfectly fine. She's never sick that one…"

"So she went to school like normal all week?"

"I wasn't here to see her off every single morning, but she would never NOT go to school. She's a strange kid, she loves school, wouldn't miss it for the world."

"You weren't here?" Bella asked, keeping her voice light and friendly.

"I was in Seattle for a couple of days, a business trip of sorts. Anyway, I came back as soon as I was contacted by the cops."

"Who was in charge when you were gone?"

"In charge of what?" The lines in his face deepened as he leaned forward.

"Your daughter's well being. She's fourteen and you said you were away for a couple of days. You didn't leave her here alone, did you?"

"Of course not. She has two adult brothers. They both live here on this farm with me."

"And they didn't notice anything unusual with her either?"

"No, they would have told me if that was the case. They only have one sister and they are always looking out for her and trying to be good role models to her."

Yeah, right, Bella snorted to herself at the ridiculousness of his answer. Not many fathers would think a good role model came in the shape of an older brother with a criminal record… or in this case, two older brothers with dubious past behavior. Of course, that didn't mean they weren't capable of having a loving and caring relationship with their little sister. But to call them good role models was a bit of a stretch!

She let the comment pass however, asking instead, "What can you tell me about last Thursday? Do you know what time Bree came home from school that day? Did she go straight home? Or did she stop somewhere on her way home?"

"No, she didn't come straight home. She never does. She goes from school to work." He turned to Newton. "Did you not tell her about our arrangement, Mike?"

"That Bree works at the Newton's with my wife? Yes, we have covered that," he confirmed. "Bree never works on Thursdays though. That's my wife's night off." He gave Tanner a pointed look, before turning to Bella to explain further. "We have Jane running the store for us when we can't be there ourselves, but we don't feel comfortable having Bree work on nights when there is no adult supervision. Jane is still in high school you see."

"Ah, that's true," Turner hummed in agreement."Didn't think of that. Bree always does the grocery shopping on Thursdays. The fridge was fully stocked when I got here Friday, so that must be where she went after school…"

"Who takes here there?"

"Takes her where?"

"To the store. There aren't exactly grocery stores around every corner out here."

"Sometimes she asks for help, but she usually manages on her own. If the weather is good, she takes her bicycle. Other times, she takes the bus and then walks the last bit. I don't know about this particular Thursday, as I wasn't home. I just know the groceries where there when I got back."

'What's wrong with her grown ass brothers?' Bella wanted to ask, but again she forced herself to hold her tongue. Obviously they'd been too busy -or too lazy was probably more like it- to take their little sister to the store.

"When you say she takes her bike, you don't just mean to the store, do you? You mean that's how she's getting to and from school whenever the weather allows for it. That's one heck of a bike ride. "

"Exercise is good for you," he shrugged. "Besides, she goes to Ridgewood Middle, not the school in central Forks. It's not that far…"

"Newton's is as central as it gets, so the days she goes from school to work she covers a considerable distance on her bike."

"No one is forcing her, she just prefers being independent like that. There is always someone around to give her a ride, should she ask for one. She has a phone, she can always text us, if she needs us for anything, even when she's at school."

"Okay, but all this means you actually don't know what time, exactly, she got home that afternoon. Or, if she was alone when she got here? Perhaps someone saw her and stopped to offer her a ride? Or perhaps-…"

"She knows better than to get in a car with a stranger. I'm not sure I like where you're going with this."

"I'm not here to stir up trouble, or cause controversy. I'm just trying to get a sense of what your daughter's day looked like and what she did during the hours leading up to her being admitted to the hospital," Bella said, trying to keep a neutral expression on her face.

"I figured you would appreciate being asked directly about this, rather than having me going around asking other people behind your back."

"You're smooth. Are we sure she's not a cop?" he turned to Newton, who shrugged.

"Nah, don't think so."

"Alright, since you came all the way out here to introduce yourself and speak with me directly, I'll do what I can to help you get to the bottom of this. Obviously, it's in my interest too."

"One would think so, yes-…" the words slipped out before she could catch them. "I mean, that would be good, thank you," she corrected. No point giving him attitude and making things worse.

"I suggest we ask Embry. He was home that night and the last person to see her before she decided to sneak out of the house."

"How do you know she snu-…" she started to say, but was cut off when Eleazar Tanner let out a loud whistle.

When he didn't get an immediate reply, he followed up by shouting, "Hey E, get your lazy ass in here?" at the top of his lungs.

"Whaat?" came the response from a different part of the house.

"I need to speak with you!"

"I'm busy, can't it wait?"

"No. It's about your sister."

They heard nothing for a moment or two. Then, there were footsteps, before, finally, a disheveled-looking Embry Tanner appeared in the doorway.

He hadn't changed much since high school, Bella noted. Well, except maybe for his overall posture and level of fitness. He seemed taller, with quite a bit more muscles on his frame. That came as a bit of a surprise actually, as he'd never struck her as the type to be into gym training and fitness.

Embry did a double take and Bella could tell the exact moment he recognized her, his lips curling into a surprised smile.

"Why hello there, Bella Swan," he greeted her, stepping further into the room. "Wasn't aware we had company." He shot his father a questioning look.

"Ms. Higgin-bot-tham,"—Tanner over-pronounced her name, making it sound anything but natural - "has been invited by the police to try and get Bree to open up and talk about the horrible experience that is obviously still plaguing her."

"Good luck with that. You do know she's deaf, right?" Embry commented, not sounding particularly impressed by this plan.

Bella answered using only her hands, signing the words, "I'm aware of that, thank you."

"Oh, so you're like an interpreter. Cool!" Embry replied, grabbing Newton's mostly untouched beer bottle."We always did wondered what became of you, didn't we Mike?"

"Stop making a spectacle of yourself and sit your sorry ass down," Tanner snapped, then immediately regretted his abruptness, is seemed as he added, "I called you in here to talk about Bree. Your sister is what matters here," in a much calmer voice.

"Okay, okay…" Beer bottle still in hand Embry found himself a chair and took a seat at the table. "Sorry, what do you wanna know?"

"You were here with Bree on Thursday night. Tell us what you guys did, what time she got in, what time she went to bed, that sort of stuff…. Everything you can remember…" Tanner instructed.

"I was here all afternoon. Bree got home around six, six thirty. I had already eaten, so she fixed herself some dinner. Pasta, I think? Then later, we hung out in front of the TV for a bit." He paused to take a swig of beer.

"And she seemed her normal self?" Bella took the opportunity to ask. "You didn't notice anything out of the ordinary?"

"She seemed a bit preoccupied by her phone, but that's pretty standard behavior for her. She texts a lot... " He paused again, this time to look at his father as if seeking permission before going on.

"I figured she was talking to that looser, Riley. I don't think the conversation was going the way she wanted it to go…. She seemed agitated. At one point she looked like she was ready to throw the phone across the room."

"Who's Riley? A friend from school?" Bella tried to cut in, but Embry didn't take any notice.

"Being the good brother that I am, I asked her about it, asked if she needed me to go have a stern talking to her little 'friend'," he continued instead."She flipped me off and stormed out of the room. I didn't see her come out of her bedroom again all evening and I was on that sofa watching TV until sometime around two in the morning."

"Riley Biers," Tanner clarified. "He's talking about Bree's boyfriend Riley."

Boyfriend? Well, that came as a surprise. "She has a boyfriend? No one told me about that."

"I know what you're thinking, but he was away all summer. His parents are divorced and he spends his summers with his father in Florida. Only got back when school started up again."

"I don't know dad, I still think they had time to do the nas-…" Embry felt the sudden need to protest, but his point was effectively shut down by his father, who grabbed him by the arm and practically lifted him off the chair. "Thank you, son. I'll take it from here," Tanner told him in a dry, no-nonsense kind of voice. "Why don't you take officer Newton outside and show him the new ATV?!"

"You okay with that, B?" Mike asked, to which Bella simply nodded. She knew she had to be okay with it, or she would never get anywhere with Eleazar Tanner.

"I apologize, for my son. His judgment is clouded on this matter due to his general dislike of the Biers," Tanner said as they waited for the other two to leave. "You see, Embry ran into Liam Biers at the local waterhole, the other night. Liam is Riley's older brother, him and Embry barely get along on a normal day, and seeing as this latest little run-in happened last Saturday, only two days after Bree ended up in hospital… Well, let's just say it didn't end well… Both of them were tanked outta their minds. Accusations were made, punches were thrown. As a result Biers spent the rest of the night down at the police station."

"I see."

"You hardly know us, and we must seem terribly uncivilized. We all care about Bree though. She's the glue that holds this family together."

Bella wasn't quite sure what to say to that. He seemed sincere, yet she still couldn't shake that something was off here."That's…. touching." She said for lack of anything better to say. "Uhm… I only have one more question."

"About young Riley and his relationship with my daughter," the old man guessed. "He's a scrawny kid, hasn't even hit puberty yet… and Bree is quite... she takes life very serious, too serious for a child sometimes. She hasn't shown any interest in boys before this, and honestly, the most I've seen them do is hold hands... This came out of nowhere. The kid was gone all summer. I've asked around to make sure that was really the case. It's not him."

"You don't have to answer this obviously, but did you know, or even suspect, Bree was sexually active?" She gave him a very direct look, mentally preparing herself for his reaction.

His jaw tightened, but his reply was calm and collected. "She's only fourteen. Honestly, I thought I had more time, but clearly I was wrong." He shook his head. "If I had known she would take after her mother in this aspect, I would have put her on the pill years ago. I guess it's true, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Bella bit her tongue to keep from blurting out the first thoughts that came into her head.

"Did I say something you don't agree with? Don't be shy, you can tell me…"

His face was emotionless but his eyes bore into her like he knew all of her secrets. This unsettled her and she let her eyes dart away. Her eyes landing on the knives on the rack, she'd seen before. There was a pair of scissors there too, scissors always made her nervous. … No, concentrate.

"If I can give you one piece of advice, please watch what you say in front of your daughter. Even if she cannot hear you, she is, as I'm sure you're aware of, quite skilled at reading lips. It's important you don't place any blame or pressure on her while she's recovering from this experience. Live in the here and now rather than the past. "

"I'll try and remember that." He looked like he was about to scoff at her, but Bella quickly continued. "When Bee's ready to talk, she'll let you know. In the meanwhile, please remember that she is still just a child. Let her stay a child for now. She has her entire life to be an adult."

Tanner still did not seem too impressed. "I'll work on that… now, if that's all?" he asked and rose from his chair. "You'll have to excuse me, I've got to feed the dogs."

The dogs...Whippy! Bella suddenly remembered the promise she'd made.

"Can I come with you? When you feed the dogs, I mean." She plastered a smile on her face. "I'd like to see Bree's dog before I leave. Is that okay?"

"What?"

"Her dog. Bree told me she worries about Whippy. I think she is concerned the dog will be sad and lonely when she's not around."

'Not to mention neglected and unfed,' she added silently in her mind. However, she knew better than to say it out loud.

"I promised I'd check on the dog myself."

"She told you that? I thought she wasn't talking."

'Well, that's where you thought wrong!' she wanted to say, wanted to make him sweat for a bit… Instead, she answered with a shake of her head. "She has signed a few words about missing school and her dog, that's all."

.

…

.

A short while later, Bella and Mike were in the car again, heading back towards Port Angeles. Or rather, they were heading towards the crossroad where County Road 563 met up with the Coastal beach road, which was where Mike had picked her up earlier.

Bella had parked her rental by the old lookout point where tourists and locals used to come to enjoy the panoramic view of the winding cliffs and the sea bellow.

The site had been permanently closed down over six years ago, due to falling rocks. Or that had been the official reason anyway. Unofficially, the cliffs had to be fenced off because the area had become a popular cliff-jumping destination for local teenagers. Having an ugly in-your-face iron grid type of fence there, pretty much ruined the experience for the tourists, leaving the lookout spot deserted and quite overgrown with thistles. Someone STILL parked there from time to time though, you could tell from the wheel tracks in the weed infested dry mud.

Deserted or not, it had been a convenient place for them to meet up, at least as far as Bella was concerned, seeing as it was reachable without having to drive through the central portion of Forks.

Also, it was just a just a stone's throw away from another place of interest; the cliffs where Bree had been picked up by the police. Bella was planning to have a walk around there before leaving. It was roughly a kilometer up the coastal road. If she remembered correctly, the spot was even higher above sea-level (than the lookout point), but offered no views to speak of and there was definitely no dive friendly waters beneath it. She was pretty sure a fall from those cliffs would kill you.

"So tomorrow, same place, same time?"Mike asked, as he brought the police cruiser to a halt next to Bella's car

"Huh?" Bella asked, having been too lost in her thoughts. It had started to rain, she noted as a pitter-patter of rain drops hit the windshield.

"Will I see you at the hospital tomorrow morning?" Mike clarified. "I've put you down on the list for another visit with Bree, but if you don't want to-…"

"No, I'll be there." she interrupted him. "Thanks. And thank you for the ride and your company. I know it was a bit out of your way, so I'm sorry if it disrupted your workday."

"No worries. I needed to head out there anyway."

"Oh, okay. That's…that's good."

"To return a chain saw I borrowed, the weekend before last," he explained when he heard the hesitation in her voice. "I finally got around to cutting down a 5-foot trunk that has been sitting in my backyard, covered in moss, ever since I bought the house. You know how it is, if you don't do it straight away, it will never get done… Procrastination at its finest, you know how it is..."

"Right. Yeah, I do know how it is."

"One could say you did me a favor, otherwise chances are I'd still be driving around with that saw in my trunk a year from now."

"I didn't realize you were that close though. You and the Tanners."

"It's a small town," he shrugged. "I wouldn't say I'm close to all of them, but me and Embry are fishing buddies, sort of. Old man Tanner likes to hunt, he enjoys the thrill of the chase, while Embry prefers the solitude of fly-fishing…. For me it's an excuse to get out of the house from time to time…"

"What about Laurent, what does he do these days? You said he was unemployed…he must have a lot of time to kill." Bella said, while listening to the rain that was coming down much more aggressively now than just a few minutes earlier. The rain drops were hitting the car's roof with so much power that it sounded like they were being attacked by bullets.

"Laurent… I'm not sure what Laurent actually does with his days. He's not the exactly outdoorsy type and you never see him around town.… I hear he frequents the new gym -Aro's. It's over where Volterra used to be. Volterra the bar, if you remember? It got burned down to the ground a few years back…. " he trailed off. "Damn! The rain is really pouring down in masses now!"

"Yeah, we should get off this cliff before it turns into a mud river, or worse, a landslide," Bella responded, peering out at the blur of the wet landscape.

It was an exaggeration of course, these cliffs had withstood centuries of rain and stormy weather without crumbling. She was not dressed to be out walking in this kind of weather though, meaning she would have to give 'Bree's cliff' a rain check; in the words truest meaning.

It wasn't too late in the afternoon; perhaps she could swing by Ridgewood Middle School on her way back to her hotel room. That meant she would have to venture inside the city limits of Forks though.

The school was located far out in a rural area, but still… If she went there now, in the afternoon, there was always the risk of running into parents stopping by to pick up their children; parents of which some were bound to be local townies. She might get recognized, spoken to, asked about... Not to mention the gossip such a visit would stir up afterwards. Was she up for that?

'Well, you cannot hide forever,' she told herself firmly. 'Beside's you're not doing this for yourself, you're doing it for Bree.' That thought alone gave Bella a sense of purpose and usefulness that she hadn't felt since coming here. Or, since before that, even.

Aha, Dr. Banner probably knew this was what would happen all along. He was clever like that...

"Mike, you don't happen to have the number to Ridgewood's administration office, do you?" she blurted out, before she could change her mind.

It was time to push herself and her life forward.

.

…

.


	28. Chapter 28

-=[ Isabella Swan 17 y.o – the past]=-

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Carlisle and Esme POV (Carlisle returning home from the press conference)

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28.

.

"Honey, I'm home!" Stepping into his wife's arms, Carlisle buried his face in her neck, breathing in her scent as he held her tight.

"Are you okay?" Esme asked, tilting her head up to look into his eyes.

"I'm fine," he responded, giving her a reassuring smile. "It wasn't exactly a festive affair. Then again, I knew that going in," he sighed, stepping back a little to loosen his tie."Actually, I'm glad I knew beforehand, so I could prepare myself mentally."

"It seems to have generated quite a bit of media interest already."

"Yeah, they are like greedy vultures flocking on a fresh kill. I predict-or rather I fear-it will only escalate from here."

"It's a terrible, terrible tragedy - no matter how it happened, or who did what…"

"Yes, agreed," he hummed, running a hand through his hair, letting it fall over his forehead again."What about you? How are you holding up?"

"We watched the press conference."

"You did?" Carlisle leaned against the counter and watched her as his wife pulled open the fridge and took out a carton of juice.

"On Alice's laptop," she explained and took a glass down from the cabinet. "You want some?"

"No, I'm good." 

"The girls had heard from a friend of a friend about how someone would be attempting to live stream it… It worked surprisingly well. I missed the first couple of minutes, but Alice said it was mostly introductions and stuff we already knew. Then, the stream got cut off towards the end before the Q&A session was completed. I saw most of it though."

"The wonders of modern technology," Carlisle closed his eyes and rolled his broad shoulders. On opening his eyes he added, "If you saw it, then perhaps you noticed that there were certain things-certain details—that were deliberately kept from the general public."

"The part about the plastic bag and the duct tape?" she asked, having evidently already picked up on this.

"Yes." He nodded. "It obviously proves malicious intent, but I've been asked not to spread that information around... You haven't said anything about it to the kids, or anyone else, have you?"

"No and I won't."She poured the juice, and put the carton back in the refrigerator. "I figured it was left out for a reason."

"We need to find the mother and fast. What we don't need is a lynch mob. So it will probably help if those details are left out for now, we need the general public to feel a bit compassion towards the mother."

"What's the word on the-… the second fetus? Was it alive or….?"

"Too soon to was a very small baby though… so small, the survival rate, if it was indeed alive at birth, would have been down to a coin toss."

"Really? A coin toss is 50/50, I wouldn't call that hopeless odds."

"You're right, let me rephrase. If born in a hospital, with all the right medical expertise available, the odds could have been as good as 50/50, perhaps. But born out in the woods like this, he never would have stood a chance. Of course, I'm not a neonatal specialist, but-…"

"It was a boy?" Esme interrupted him. "And he was even smaller than the girl?"

"Yes. I know, it's a bit unusual. With boy/girl twins, if one is bigger than the other, it's often the boy."

"Wouldn't that indicate, the fetus may have been deprived of nourishment or oxygen for a significant period of time?"

"It could indicate that yes, but like I said. It's too soon to tell. They'll do an autopsy of sorts, to find out for more."

"Do they know which twin was born first?"

"No. If I were to guess, I'd guess the girl though. Studies suggest second-born twins are more likely to die during, or shortly after delivery. Complications such as oxygen deprivation, breech birth and infection are often to blame for this increased risk."

"Oh…"

"I have to say it's a bit peculiar, the way the two babies were separated. Someone went through an awful lot of trouble to move Baby X."

"You mean the bag and the tape?" 

"I'm talking about the bag, the tape, the walk through the woods, the dumpster… Someone went to all that trouble, only to leave the second baby, and the placentas, behind in the shallow water, covered only by branches, reed and moss."

"Do you think...?" Esme started, but then trailed off with a frown.

"Do I think what?"

She pulled a face, not quite comfortable with what she was about to say next. "I haven't had time to think this through properly, but maybe the mother didn't know she was carrying twins and was caught by surprise...?"

"That's a theory as good as any. Shock coupled with blood loss can make you do nonsensical things." He considered it for a moment, before adding, "I have to say I agree with chief Swan on this one. I think there were at least two persons involved in all this. I don't think they had access to a car, seeing as the dog could pick up and follow that blood scent almost instantly. It sort of supports our gut instincts that it's a very young mother, or a very young couple, that we're dealing with here..."

Esme nodded in agreement. "Yes, I actually spoke with Charlie about this earlier… about our concerns that the parents could be two scared teenager, who's done a terrible thing out of shame and fear for the repercussions of admitting to a pregnancy."

"Oh, you did? Actually, so did I," Carlisle admitted, with a shake of his head."Poor Charlie, I bet everyone is trying to tell him how to do his job, right about now."

"Yeah. I left him a text message asking if we could meet up before talking to the kids at school tomorrow. You know, to discuss our strategy. He called me back, but he didn't say much. He was short on time, for understandable reasons. It was right before the press conference. "

"Oh, okay."

"We did decide on when and where to meet up though, so that's all sorted. Oh, and by the way, I promised him we'd check on Bella a bit over the next couple of days, as he'll be working pretty much non-stop with this. He said something about sleeping in shifts at the station tonight."

"We should invite her over. Isabella is always welcome here, she's no trouble. Even when she's in one of her quiet moods, she's still pretty easy going… " 'Unlike our Edward', he wanted to say aloud, but he held his tongue.

"The invite has already gone out. Alice is working on it. I'll probably have to go into town to pick her up, in a bit," Esme said, checking the time on her watch. "Actually, that reminds me. The kids are all grounded."

"They are? I mean, good! It's probably for the best given the circumstances."

"The boys aren't home right now, so they haven't been informed yet. That will be your job."

"Okay…" He gave her a confused look. "I thought the plan was to wait until after dinner, so that we could have a family meeting and talk to them all at once…. united front and all that."

"Yeah about that plan…. Emmett informed me earlier that he and Rosie have had a change of plans and will be leaving straight after dinner, rather than staying one more night. He said something about an assignment that he'd forgotten about. Me thinks he knows we're on to them and that he's trying to make a run for it, while there is still time to escape the parental wrath."

"You're probably right. I'll speak to him," Carlisle agreed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Grounding him obviously won't do us no good. We'll have to be creative here."

"I'll leave that up to you, dear. You're the one promising him some kind of reward- cash, was it?- for coming home this weekend in the first place."

"I did, yes. He wanted to purchase some new fancy car stereo type of device. It has a touch screen which is the 'shit', apparently. I'm sorry, love. You weren't supposed to know about it…" He hung his head. "I just wanted everything about this the weekend to go smoothly. I'll make sure he knows we're disappointed in him. I have it on good authority that alcohol was flowing freely here last night."

"Good authority? Who's this good authority? Someone at the hospital?" 

"Mrs. Stanley informed me she'd seen all sorts of scandalous photos going through her daughter's social media feed. Apparently, we're bad parents for not keeping better tabs on our children's internet activities," he said it jokingly, but the joke fell flat.

"Maybe she's right, maybe we've given them too much freedom, and it's biting us in the ass now. Carlisle, I'm not sure it stopped with just alcohol. Someone's been rummaging through the bathroom cabinet upstairs."

"Our bathroom cabinet?"

"Yeah, I found my allergy pills, or rather I found what was left of the box, sandwiched between the cushions in the couch."

"That's unfortunate. If it's any comfort, the most likely outcome when mixing allergy medicine with alcohol is drowsiness."

"Depends on which pills they picked for their concoction." Esme threw her hands up, in frustration. "In this case it was my Benadryl. A simple google search will tell you that a high dosage of can give you quite the trip, especially if it's combined with other prescribed drugs or alcohol."

"Okay, you're right. Sorry, I didn't mean to belittle your concerns. I thought it was your Claritin. It's been quite a while since you switched, so I didn't realize… I didn't think…-" He shook his head and his forehead furrowed. "Benadryl is a deliriant that in high dosage can cause hallucinations and extreme paranoia in some cases."

"Don't forget coma and death. Taking a stimulant and sedative at the same time can lead to unexpected reactions, including nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness, coma, and death."

"Death by Benadryl overdose is thankfully rare… What did Alice have to say about this? You did ask her, didn't you? "

"I did, yes. She alluded that we should speak with Edward about it. She acted like she didn't think it was a big deal. In fact, she doesn't seem to think anything about last night was a big deal or anything out of the ordinary."

"Oh really?"

"She was like yeah, we had some people over, but I swear I only invited 20. Sorry, mom, but a bunch of other kids showed up uninvited. It went overboard from there, but in a good way…like it turned into the party of the year and I promise mom, nothing happened," Esme said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger and imitating her daughter's voice and speaking pattern.

"Nothing happened?" Carlisle raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"Yeah, I know. That's another reason why I decided to ground her then and there, rather than waiting until tonight. They don't realize the seriousness of this situation."

"This may be the generation which has grown up with a world of information at their fingertips, but even with all that, they are still just teenagers being teenagers."

Just then a thought struck him. "Es, honey, where do you keep your sleeping pills?"

"Oh. They are-… Oh no! I was gonna say I had them with me in my purse. That was not the case though. I never packed them. I left them in my bedside table. Do you think….?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

Esme was pale and her hands were shaking, and he knew he should try and get her to calm down a bit.

"Let's go and see if we can find them. I'll have a word with the boys the minute they get home and see what they have to say for themselves, okay?"

He kissed her forehead.

"Okay." She nodded.

.

…

.


	29. Chapter 29

**-=[Isabella Swan 17 y.o – the past]=-**

 **.**

 **Edward's & Emmett's POV**

 **.**

 **29.**

 **.**

"Why don't you believe him?"

"Who?" Edward asked a bit distracted, as he followed his brother out of the kitchen.

"James said he never made it here last night, but clearly you don't believe him. Why is that?" Emmett clarified, moving towards the stairs, balancing a sandwich on a plate in one hand and a can of soda in the other.

They'd just come back from seeing James, so it made sense that it was him, Emmett was referring to. Currently they were on a search for Rosalie though, who'd sent her boyfriend a strangely worded text message, warning him that 'shit' was about to hit the fan and that he ought to try and to stay clear of the parental unit.

Unsurprisingly, Emmett had insisted on starting their search in the kitchen, which in Edward's opinion was stupid. Rosalie was obviously not hiding in the fridge….but whatever… there was no getting between Emmett and his snack.

Thankfully, they had come home to an eerily quiet house though. So the risk of running into anyone didn't seem all that high at the moment.

"Fuck, if I know," Edward grumbled in response to the question. "My headache sure tells me I saw him at one point or another over the course of last night. I mean, he is my go-to guy after all and we did have plans to get together so that I could get my stash restocked…Maybe he was close by, but didn't technically come up to the house, or something… He usually dosen't bother with lies and excuses. He's pretty straightforward like that."

"He definitely didn't set foot inside the house, I can tell you that much. We always keep an eye out for James, me and Jaz, you know that."

"Yeah, yeah, I know…"

"If he'd been here causing trouble we would have seen him. One must never let down one's guard when James Hunter is concerned." Emmett said after exhaling somewhat gruffly, sounding like some old, wise man.

"True, but if James was a 'no-show' then that means Embry Tanner, or one of his gooners, must have paid us a visit, because I wouldn't touch anything coming from anyone else, so-… Wait, that reminds me, I heard something about Black showing up looking for Swan. What the fuck is up with that?! Who invited him? Because I sure as hell didn't!"

"Some of the La Push kids did swing by uninvited. That is correct. I had to flex some muscles to get them to leave." Emmett shrugged, like it was no big deal.

"Uley and his pack crashed the party?!"

"Not Sam, but some of the others. The vibe got tense there for a while. You went after Altera, trying to get him in a neck lock…. It was hilarious. I think you were mistaking him for Black to be honest. You probably would have made a spectacle out of yourself, had I not intervened."

"So Altera and Black? Who else? What about Embry? Was he here? You never did answer that one."

"No, I don't think so." Emmett stopped momentarily on the staircase, turning to look at his brother. "I thought you were kidding, but you really don't remember ANTHING about last night, do you?" he asked with a mildly surprised expression.

"Stanley was in my bed when I woke up this morning…. I think that says it all?!" Edward responded with a deep sigh."The last thing I remember clearly is standing in the kitchen talking to Tanya…. and that was well before midnight. The rest of the night is still pretty much a blur."

"Oh, talking? Really? Is that what you kids call it these days?" Emmett teased, knowing his brother used to have an on-again-off again fling with Tanya Denali. Used to—past tense- as in he hadn't touched her in over a year...until last night that is.

Emmett was partly right though; 'talking' was perhaps not the right verb to describe what had transpired between Edward and Tanya in the kitchen. It's difficult to get a word out when someone is forcing their tongue down your throat. Edward wasn't going to admit to anything of the sort though. His brother already had enough ammunition to rib him with for weeks to come.

"I bet Denali had plenty to say, eh?" Emmett added, wiggling his eyebrows.

"I wouldn't know. I don't remember," Edward responded, biting the inside of his cheek to keep himself from showing anything resembling emotion.

"Right…. What's a party without a few blackouts? Happens to the best of us."

"Not to me it doesn't!" Edward shook his head, instantly regretting it as it made him feel strangely nauseated. "My head felt proper messed up when I woke this morning and I still haven't recovered. This isn't your standard hangover type of headache. It's the mother of all hangover headaches, I tell you."

"Perhaps you should talk to dad about that." Emmett suggested, his brows drawn into a thoughtful frown. "I mean, maybe you were roofied or something," he added, earning himself a punch in the arm, nearly dropping his plate in the process.

"Oww! What? I doesn't just happen to girls you know."

"I know that, but I'm pretty careful about safety and stuff. I only drink from bottles or cans I've opened myself and I don't leave them unattended. You already know this…"

"Sure, but one or two seconds of not paying attention is all it takes. You look away and-…."

"NO! I'm telling you, that's not what happened," Edward cut him off, with more conviction than he felt.

"Okay, it was just a theory. I can tell that this has you all stressed out and-…"

"I'm not stressed," Edward snapped, contradicting himself quite a bit right there. He screwed his face up tightly and tried to find the right words to explain himself.

He took a deep breath and tried again. "Grumpy, tired and irritable - yes. Stressed out- not so much. I've got one hell of a headache, that all there is to it."

"Fine, I stand corrected," Emmet snorted. "All I'm saying is that I don't think you can pin this one on James. Look, trust me, I'm no fan of his, but I still maintain I would have noticed him, had he been here last night," he insisted, steering the conversation back to James Hunter.

"Yeah well, sorry I dragged you away from you precious girlfriend for a grand total of," –Edward checked the time on his phone—"74 minutes for a trip across town that turned out to be in vain. Don't tell me you didn't enjoy shaking our dear James up a bit and taking him down a few notches, because I'm not buying that. "

"I've never liked the guy, that's no secret," Emmett commented flatly, his eyes dark with restrained emotion. "He comes off as a total sleaze AND he used to be friends with Royce. I don't see how you can trust him at all."

"I'm friendly with him, but I don't trust him," Edward responded, with a shake of his head. "That's why I figured the mere suspicion that he could be back at his old tricks again was enough to warrant our trip across town," he continued, feeling his jaws tensing a bit. "And I think you agree with me on that one?"

"I do agree, yes," Emmett was nodding .The two brothers shared a somber look, both of them thinking the same thing. They hadn't forgotten what had happened at Vicky's 4th of July party the summer before last.

For a while there James had made it a habit of going around handing out free samples of his 'special' party favors. Unfortunately, their sister had been among the ones James had paid special interest to that time… He always seemed to be targeting girls when looking to expand his clientele, the coward fucker! His working motto seemed to be, the more innocent looking the girl was the more likely they were to get hooked fast… and he probably wasn't entirely wrong there, but that didn't mean his approach was an acceptable one.

Alice had been extremely lucky not getting too caught up in it. Partly because Edward had figured out what was going on and voluntarily taken the fall for her. Some serious shit had gone down when their father had found a vial of yellow powder -crystal meth- in the garage.

Of course, their father had insisted on bringing Edward down to the hospital for a drug screening. That had been an experience and a half….

Thankfully, the only recreational or illegal substance in Edward's system at the time had been a little bit of weed; too low of a concentration to be too alarming. It wasn't like his parents didn't already know about his self medicating ways. They didn't like it, but there wasn't much they could say about it. Well they could, but he usually didn't have to stick around and listen to them. You don't solve shitty parenting by banning things left and right.

Ironically, Edward's father had made him swear that he would never touch crystal meth again, and also, that he would never expose his sister to anything of the sort. The ironic part being that the result would have been entirely different had Carlisle thought to put both twins through the same set of tests. But, of course, that never happened…. Sweet, innocent Alice still had her father wrapped around her pinky finger to this very day.

The thing was, Edward loved his sister dearly and held absolutely no grudge towards her. He'd taken the blame for her without batting an eye. After all she had done for him when they were kids, he owed her that much… and then some. She had saved his neck once. This was nothing compared to the secrets she'd kept for him throughout the years.

Helping Alice had been a no-brainer and he was pretty sure Emmett would have acted the same way, had he been around the house at the time, as he too absolutely adored their sister. She had that effect on the men in her life, it seemed. They all wanted to protect her from any harm.

Needless to say, both brothers had watched over their sister like a hawk ever since that 4th of July incident. Of course, with Emmett's recent departure for college, the responsibility now rested fully on Edward's shoulders. He realized now, in hindsight, that it was a responsibility he had not quite lived up to. As much as he hated to admit it, he'd been much too preoccupied with… well life. He'd been stuck in his own thoughts, spending way too much of his woken hours, dwelling on the way things had ended with B-…No, not dwelling, it wasn't like he'd been obsessing over it, or anything. 'Processing' was a better word for it, he decided. Problem was it shouldn't have taken him all summer to shake himself out of his funk, but…whatever. He was over it now and hey, better late than never…

Thankfully, Alice had been on her best behavior lately though. Perhaps she had learned her lesson at last. Perhaps she was more capable of fending for herself than they gave her credit for. Actually, she was much tougher than she looked. Another thing that 'helped' the situation was that his sister was dating, none other than his good pal Jasper these days. It was fairly new development, but Jasper had already proved to be rather good at handling Alice and all her quirks.

Shaking his head, Edward made a mental not to have a word with Jasper about James and make sure they were on the same page there. Because, Emmett was definitely right about one thing - you always had to be on guard when James Hunter was concerned. That thought sent a shudder down his spine.

Sure, he was friends with the guy, but he also knew all the creepy stuff James was into. Not the kind of person you want hanging around your sister…. Or any girl you cared about in any capacity. That thought had his mind wandering to a certain brunette again, and against his will he found himself replaying the memory of how they had found Bella that morning-disoriented and in quite a state. Honestly, she'd looked like she'd just woken up from a three-day bender. And it wasn't a good look on her.

The thing was, he knew Bella wasn't a heavy drinker and he was pretty sure she wasn't puffing anything anymore either, not even spliffs. She'd quit cold turkey last spring. He knew this because he'd been right there, by her side, when she'd made that decision (after a panic attack of epic proportions, but that's another story for another day). He'd even tried cutting down a bit on the weed himself, in support of the cause.

He'd heard through Alice, that Bella had managed to keep to her guns over the course of summer. Good for her, he supposed… but this all only made the whole situation seem even more…odd.

Why had she taken a fall off the wagon now, of all times? Because he was fairly certain that was what had happened last night. If neither James, nor Embry, had been at the party, then how had she scored herself something, anything, to get high on? Surely, alcohol alone wasn't responsible for making her look that….lethargic?

Then it dawned on him… Newton! "I bet this is all Mike f-ing Newton's fault," he blurted, voicing his realization aloud without really meaning to.

Crap! Edward hadn't even realized he'd spaced out like that. He'd stopped walking mid step, it seemed. Emmett was a whole flight of stairs ahead of him.

"What are you on about now?" his brother asked, sounding a bit annoyed, as he stood waiting for him to catch up with him.

Edward contemplated playing it off with a shrug, but then Emmett went on, making it clear he wasn't going to let it go that easily. "I mean, everyone knows Mikey is always at fault, one way or another, but what exactly is it that you think he did this time? You lost me, come on, explain yourself."

"I just realized it's entirely possible that Newton brought something other than just his nasty weed to the party last night, something of shitty quality and dubious content, " Edward admitted , irritated with himself for not thinking of it sooner. "Remember, when he went around trying to pass off his mom's heart medicine as Oxycontin pills? People nearly ended up in hospital because of that stunt."

"Yeah, but come on, you'd have to be pretty desperate to touch anything coming from Newton." Emmett objected. "That's kind of contradicting what you said earlier about always being careful… Then again, you were messing with Stanley after all, so I'm not sure your judgment can be trusted… ever again… "

"Oh shut up!" Edward slapped his brother's arm. "I'm being serious here. I wasn't talking about myself, I was talking about Swan. Remember this morning? Remember how I told you she was looking like she'd been hit by a truck and dragged five miles, before crashing in the bushes out back?"

"Yeah, that's how you convinced me we had to pay James a little visit in the first place. You said he'd been messing with Al and her friends."

"Right, well that's what I thought at the time, but think about it… If neither James nor Embry was here handing out goodies, then the next logical suspect would be Newton. I mean, he is always trying to get with Swan, always leering at her and complimenting her in awkward and creepy ways."

"Yes Edward, everyone knows Newton's crushing on our little Swan. Half the school is crushing on Swan. It's been a year since she came here, but she's still the new shiny toy everybody wants to get their hands on," Emmett was rolling his eyes. "She has higher standards than that though. Also, Mike doesn't come across like a 'serial roofier' to me. I mean, sure, I've been gone for a couple of months, but last time I checked, Mikey was a mommy's boy with no balls to do any thinking or acting on his own. Also, have you forgotten about Black? To my knowledge he's the only guy in town that Swan has actually taken any kind of interest in…. and Black certainly has the right connections to hook her up with dope. That's where I'd put my money, if I was a betting man."

"Shit, you're right. That f-ing snot faced imbecile!" Edward exclaimed a bit too loudly, realizing just how gullible and naïve he had been.

"Eh… I mean, he wasn't even invited, yet he still came here looking for trouble," he added in a lame attempt to not sound like a jealous idiot. Of course, Jacob Black was the one behind all this… It was really obvious now… Edward blamed the headache for not getting it right straight away.

The thing was, Edward had been under the impression that Jacob Black had, indeed, showed up looking for Swan, but that he'd left again without actually finding her. That's what he'd taken from what little information Bella had shared with them. Could it be that the scenario, he and Alice had managed to piece together, was completely wrong? Could it be that Bella had fed them lies? Could it be-…

Just then, Emmett bumped a fist into Edward's shoulder, shaking him out of his reverie. "I agree, showing up here uninvited was very un-cool of Black, but we can't really stop her from seeing him. Forget about Swan for a moment. I still think someone could have slipped you something and that you should talk to dad about this, just to make sure that heada-..."

"Talk to ME about what?"

Both siblings jumped at the sound of their father's booming voice, coming from the bottom of the stairs.

Uh-uh… Busted!

Yep, they had just had an entire conversation about matters not suitable for parents' ears, while making their way up the stairs. Note to self; stairwells are echo chambers and sound carries exceptionally well in a house with few walls and lots of open space.

"Hi dad!" Emmett was the first one to recover. "We were just talking about… well, stuff."

There was no way of telling how much, if anything, their father had overheard.

"Yes, I gathered that," Carlisle responded, not giving anything away. "Was there anything in particular you wanted to ask me, Edward? Did I hear something about someone trying to pass around Oxycontin pills? That sounds quite serious to me."

Crap, so he'd probably heard the entire conversation then.…

"Uh… No. We were just speculating…" Edward shrugged; trying to play it off like he wasn't at all bothered by the stern look on his father's face. "Emmett was telling me a story about a rumored serial roofier on campus. Turns out it was just a bad cover-up for someone selling dodgy pills to one of the sorority houses."

"Yeah, true story…" Emmett cut in. "Speaking of dodgy pills… We've heard the DEA is in town. Is that true? And why? Did they say anything about it on the press conference?"

This had their father was nodding and the boys were congratulating themselves on their successful distraction maneuver.

"There was an Officer Brady Fuller from the DEA Seattle division in the attendance. That is correct."

"Why though? Do they have something on the mother? Is she like…. an addict, or something?" Edward asked.

"No, they have screened the baby for toxins and the preliminary results speak against that being the case. The complete analysis will, of course, take a couple of days, but we have no reason to believe it will reveal any surprises."

"So, no 'coke' baby then?" Emmett said, earning himself a frown from Carlisle.

"Language, Emmett. It's an innocent, newborn child you're talking about."

"Sorry, you're right… So… uhm, I'm gonna go look for Rosie now. I guess I'll see you at dinner…"

"No, you're not. Nice try boys, but you're not getting out of this one that easily," Carlisle had moved up the stairs in one fluid movement, coming to stand by the door leading to his home office. "Come on you two. Step into my office, I believe we have some rather important things to discuss."

"Like what?"

"For starters, I'd like to hear what was really going on here last night? Who was passing around dodgy pills and why you would think there's a 'serial roofier' on the loose?"

He held the door open, expectantly.

It was obvious he meant business.

This was going to be fun…NOT!

.

…

.


	30. Chapter 30

…

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 **-=[Isabella Swan 17 y.o – the past]=-**

 **.**

 **30**

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 _ **Carlisle's POV**_

.

"Who'll go first?" Carlisle looked between his two sons as they took a seat before him. Both of them were fidgeting in their respective chairs with various degrees of guilt written on their faces.

"No one? Well, let's start with you then Emmett," he decided, sitting down on the edge of his desk.

"First off, you can forget about that new sound system you've been eyeing for your car."

"Whaaat?" The 20 year old 'man-boy' before him sounded genuinely surprised, like the thought he'd be facing some sort of punishment had never even crossed his mind.

"Son, you're almost adult now; old enough to recognizing that with age comes freedom but also responsibilities. I think our alcohol policies are pretty straightforward. It's one thing to share a beer or two with your friends whilst watching a movie, or playing video games, or whatever it is you guys do when you get together in private. I'm down with that, as long as we're talking moderate alcohol consumption here, in a safe setting. That's fine. However, helping your siblings host very large and very wet party, with a whole bunch of high school students in the attendance… well, that is another thing entirely."

"I… I…" Emmett scrambled to come up with something to say to his defense, but Carlisle's single, raised eyebrow seemed to be enough to kill each lie as they begun to form on his son's mouth.

"I know what you're gonna say. You didn't force anyone to drink anything and that there would have been underage drinking happening here last night, whether you'd been here or not."

"Yeah, precisely. Also, I had nothing to do with the guest list." The boy nodded eager to push some of the blame elsewhere. "Dad, I only brought beer and only a very… eh small quantity of it. I thought it was just going to be me and Eddie and a handful of my old buddies hanging out together, while the girls had a 'girls' night in', doing pedicures, or whatever. Boy was I wrong….."

"Listen, I have no illusions when it comes to high schoolers and underage drinking. Call it a rite of passage, curiosity or stupidity… it happens and have been happening since well before I, myself, was a teenager."

He crossed his arms over his chest, waiting. It was an intimidating pose, but he knew his sons wouldn't stay intimidated for long. They rarely did.

"So what are you saying then?" Emmet asked, his forehead creased with confusion "You're mad at me for not putting a stop to it before it got out of hand? Is that it? Because I tried, but there was only one of me and more than… eh…say eighty or so, of them. There was only so much I could do, you know."

"I'm saying, I'm disappointed in you Emmett. I asked you to come here and chaperon your younger siblings, so that your mother could have ONE stress-free weekend to ourselves. Guess what? Stress free, it was not. You clearly didn't live up to your part of our deal. Therefore, I'm not going to live up to mine."

"But dad-…"

"But nothing. There was not just beer, but hard liquor going around and possibly other things as well… Don't deny it, there are photos making their rounds on social media as we speak. I've seen them… I can't have kids—my own or others- messing with drugs under my roof. And yes, Edward, that goes for you too. We've given you way too much wiggle room with that rule lately. Things are going to have to change from now on."

He didn't miss the way his youngest rolled his eyes in response to that.

"I'm being serious. If you believe someone was roofied, you go to the police. If you know someone was selling, or using drugs here last night, you tell me now and then we go to the police together. You mentioned Oxycontin being passed around. That's not acceptable. In addition-…"

"No, the Oxycontin-thing is old and has already been dealt with sufficiently. To my knowledge, nothing like that happened here last night. I swear," Emmett interrupted.

"Well, maybe so, but that doesn't explain why prescription drugs from my very own bathroom cabinet have gone missing."

"What? From your en-suite bathroom? But we locked the door to your bedroom. In fact, we locked all our respective bedrooms to keep the drunkards from trashing them. Honestly, we don't know anything about this, right Edward?!" Emmett said, his face reflecting nothing but sincerity.

"Yeah… I'm shocked," Edward said, in a tone of voice that said he wasn't shocked at all.

"Yeah, I'm sure you are," Carlisle said slowly. "Listen, this is serious. I'm not even talking about your weed habits here, Edward. That's another discussion for another day. This is no joke; teenagers die from experimenting with seemingly harmless over-the-counter and prescription drugs, all the time. If you know anything about this, Edward, you need to tell me!"

Nonplussed, the boy held his hands up in a defensive gesture. "I was like fourteen the last time I took pills that weren't prescribed to me, mixing them with booze. I've never been so strung out and 'not ok' in my 't blink, or close my eyes for hours, out of fear of bugs crawling all over me and black holes eating me alive... Lesson learned. Lesson fucking learned. I really, REALLY have no idea who could have gone into your room, okay?!"

"Alright, I believe you. But like I said, I can't have anyone messing with drugs under my roof. I had random people approaching me on the street after the press conference, telling me how they'd seen my house and my children featured in all sorts of scandalous pictures online."

"Scandalous pictures, really?" Edward snorted."Who have you been talking to? Mrs. Mallory at the gas station again? Did you hear that, Em? I've been telling you we really ought to boycott that place. The woman does not know the meaning of the word discretion…"

"True," Emmett hummed.

"You do that, boys. You do that…." Carlisle shook his head, knowing there were only three gas stations in town and none of the others were open past 9 PM. Mallory's gas station was also the closest one, as it was the last post between their property and town… He predicted it wouldn't be a long live boycott…

"I didn't hear it from Mallory, but that isn't important. Speaking of gas stations…. Emmett, obviously there is no point in grounding you, seeing as you're living dorm life now. So, like I said, there will be no payout for your services this weekend and in addition to that, you're paying your own car gas bill this month."

"No." Emmett was shaking his head. "With what money? I've already ordered the sound system and I just purchased tickets for a concert Rosie wants me to take her to on new year's. They were bloody expensive…"

"Though luck. You'll have to figure something out. You can probably still cancel your order and I'm sure you can find someone willing to buy those tickets from you."

"Rosie would KILL me! And don't ask me to cancel the sound system. You can't have a car without a decent sound system. It's a necessity. It's just as important as a functioning AC, good tires and breaks that you can depend on. I mean, listening to music these days requires a good sound system. I know you and mom grew up listening to rock'n'roll on cassette tapes, but those days are long gone .I need-…"

"Honestly Emmett, talking about your parents like they grew up during the Middle Ages is not helping your case." Carlisle interrupted, shaking his head.

"Sorry dad. How about next month? I will pay my own bill next month. I promise. Just let me have this month. That way I can take on more shifts at the coffee shop and save up a bit of money."

"Sorry, but no. If the consequences of your actions aren't harsh enough, you'll never learn from your mistakes."

"Aw, man... this is so unfair," Emmett grumbled, looking up at the ceiling.

"Moving on to you, Edward," Carlisle said, fixing his eyes on his youngest son's face again, seeing the same stubbornness that was always there. "You and Alice are grounded for however long your mother see fitting. I'm leaving that for her to decide."

When he saw no outward reaction from Edward he continued. "You'll come straight home after school. No phone, TV or screen time before dinner… AND no hiding in your room either. I expect to see you in the downstairs study working on your homework when I get home from work. If you have time to kill, I'm sure your mother would appreciate some help in the kitchen. After dinner you get two hours for piano practice in the music room, before it's bedtime."

"Fine, okay, I can live with that." Edward shrugged like it was nothing.

"You are also to hand over your car keys."

"What!?"As predicted, this news had Edward looking like he was three seconds away from exploding. That boy sure loved his car.

"You'll be carpooling with your sister for the time being. Alice will drive you to and from school. Good for the environment and character building. You'll have to work out your schedules so they don't clash."

"Why does SHE get to keep her keys and driving privileges when I don't?!"

"Because her driving record is squeaky clean; no tickets, no accidents, no being pulled over for any violations…" Carlisle let out a frustrated sigh, shaking his head.

"It's not fa-.."

"No, don't argue with me on this one, not when I'm about to do you a huge favor here. I shouldn't be telling you this. God knows, I've been way too lenient with you, but I have it on good authority that the police will be bringing in more police dogs in their search for leads. Seeing as the DEA is invested in the case, it's safe to assume some of those dogs will be trained to detect other things than just blood and human remains, if you get my drift…" He trailed off, to let the words sink in, before he went on to deliver the punch line.

"Think about it, what happens if you get pulled over by the police and thy let their dogs search through your car? How long has it been since you had the interior of your car professionally cleaned? Now, I know you have it cleaned at least twice a year -no one can accuse you of being a slob- but still…Can you be 100% sure they won't find any traces of any illegal substance in your car, Edward? This is no joking matter. You would be surprised how good those dogs are."

"Yeah, I have heard they can smell weed that is sealed in a pvc pipe that has been put in a gas tank," Emmett chimed in, his voice sounding a bit concerned.

"Yes, so I'll be taking your car to get cleaned tomorrow morning. I'll even pay for it myself AND you don't have to thank me. I only ask one thing in return."

"What's that?"

"Edward, if you've got anything in your possession that you shouldn't have…. Flush it down the drain and do straight after we finish this talk! Everyone in town seems to know you guys threw a party here last night, so I wouldn't be surprised if the police came knocking on our door… maybe not tonight, but within the next few days for sure."

"Wow dad, you really have absolutely no faith in me-…"

"On the contrary, I happen to believe that you're an exceptionally bright and talented young man. I see you going places, Edward. Whether you end up at Juilliard, or at a more conventional school, you'll breeze through college, I'm sure. I believe you can go as far as your mind lets you. I'd hate to see you screw up your chances before you even get out of high school though. That's why I'm doing this now, before it is too late."

Edward looked like he was going to protest again, but in the end he simply nodded. "Okay, thanks for the heads up, I guess it won't hurt to be extra careful. I'll have a look around. If I find anything, I'll flush it…"

"You do that," Carlisle nodded, taking a second to massage the back of his neck. "Now tell me, do I need to have this talk with your sister as well? Or can I trust you've kept your word in that regard and kept her away from your potentially destructive and dangerous habits."

"Hey, I would never do anything that would-…." Edward started, but then shook his head. "You know what, dad?! She's my sister and I'll always look out for her, but she's also her own person, making her own decisions. You should speak with her directly about this, instead of treating her differently just because she's a girl. Girls make drunken mistakes too, you know… Not saying that she's made any recently, or at all…,just saying that you're insulting our intelligence—hers and mine—by making her my responsibility, or acting like she's made of china just because she's a girl…"

My son -the feminist, Carlisle did a mental eye roll. "Gotta love how you only pull the 'gender equality' card when it suits you, Edward," he said calmly, crossing his arms over his chest. "You do have a point though," he admitted with a nod. "I'm sorry, that was unfair of me. Alice is her own person and I will have a word with her after dinner. Also, I'll return your car keys as soon as I get the car back from the cleaners. However, I still expect you two to carpool to school, so split the days equally between you, alright?!"

"Great… Can we leave now?"

"Yeah, I'm starving. I need another snack before dinner," Emmett complained.

"No, we're not done here just yet. And Emmett, I just watched you inhale a whole sandwich in about three bites, as you came in and sat down here. That was not even ten minutes ago."

"I'm a growing boy, what can I say?" he shrugged.

"You can survive five more minutes without food. I've got one more thing I want to talk to you boys about."

"What's that?"

"Well Emmett, what do you think it is? We've talked about the drugs and the rock'n'roll… What's left?"

"Ugh, are we getting the sex talk… again?" Emmett groaned."Didn't we cover this years ago?"

"We did, but I don't know how much of it stuck. Are you practicing safe sex, Emmett?" Carlisle asked in the sternest voice that he could muster.

"Rosalie is on the pill, so yes, always."

"That's not what I asked. I asked about you. Because no method is ever fool proof and accidents do happen."

From the corner of his eye, he saw Edward shake his head, suppressing an amused snort.

Emmett grumbled something that sounded like "Don't I know it," followed by "Alice" and "blabbermouth".

"What was that?"

"Nothing, dad. I am careful, really I am. We've had a couple of scares in the past, but it won't happen again."

"A couple of scares, Emmett? As in more than ONE?!"

"Yeah, but it's been nothing but false alarms. And like I said, it won't happen again."

"It better not, because if I hear anything of the sort again, you can forget about that road trip you're planning for next summer. One more pregnancy scare and you'll be spending your summer volunteering your services at one of our lovely local community centers serving children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Is that understood?!If it happens once, it's a mistake. If it happens twice, its poor judgment and if it continues happening…"

"Then it's a pattern of stupidity," his son said, holding up his hands in defeat. "I know. I'll do better…"

"We all make mistakes… just remember that some mistakes have consequences no 'sorries' can fix. Do I have to tell you again about that time when I was seventeen and I had to watch your mothers' unconscious body being rolled into an ambulance, because of me and a stupid mistake I'd made? Now THAT is what I call a scare, alright!"

"Okay, okay… point taken. And NO, I do not wish to hear that story again, thanks dad…"

"Don't get me wrong, I DO want grandkids, loads of them, but please try and finish your education first, so you can get a good job to provide for your family. If for any reason, that plan should fail, I want you to know that you can always count on us to be there for you, but please… be responsible and use condoms!"

"Dad," he protested."I get what you're saying, but for the record, I would never abandon, neglect or hurt an innocent baby. I can't imagine a scenario where I would not accept full responsibility and do what's right by my Rosie and any child that may come along…"

"That's good to hear, son." Carlisle couldn't help but feel, not exactly proud, but at least somewhat relieved to have affirmation they had done something right when taking on and raising this soon to be adult child.

He turned towards his other son, "What about you, Edward? You got anything you'd like to share on this subject? "

"No, I always use condoms. No scares, no slip ups. I'm good." He looked guarded and mildly bored, like he so often did.

"Are you sure you don't have anything you like to tell me?"

"I'm sure."

"Because I've been waiting for you to introduce us to your girlfriend," Carlisle said and was rewarded with the patented 'what-the-fuck' look in return.

"Eh, what girlfriend?!"

"Don't think I don't know about the late night visits you've been getting."

"Excuse me?!"

"Your lady friend; short, petite, dark haired… I know I'm late to the party with this, but I know what I've seen; you have had a nightly visitor coming and leaving. And it was not just once or twice; it was a regular occurrence… all spring… I've even seen the two of you sitting outside smoking, all huddled up together, or should I say cuddled up together. I figured it must be a girlfriend…or am I wrong?"

"I don't have a girlfriend and unless you've been spying on me there is NO WAY you could have seen me with ANYONE. You're worse than mom! Why can't you mind your own god damn business for once?!"

"Calm down and hear me out for sec. I haven't been spying on you. It's just-… Your mother used to get bouts of morning sickness and it got particularly bad late at night for some reason. Like she would wake up in the middle of the night feeling really sick to her stomach and having to run to the bathroom... So there was a period of time, a couple of weeks last spring, when I would frequently find myself up and awake, at times when I normally would be asleep."

"Sorry, but that's not a valid excuse to spy on the rest of your family…"

"Son, let me finish. Your mother would be in the bathroom for a good half an hour, or more, at a time. For some reason the only thing that helped settle her stomach after one of those mad rushes to the bathroom, was fresh, cold air. So, I did what little I could to make her feel better, like fetching her something cold to drink and open the windows to air out the bedroom. And also, sometimes, I'd take our pillows and duvets outside on the balcony for a bit, so that the bed would be pleasantly coolish when she returned."

"Oh, and you can definitely see the back of the garage from up on the balcony," Emmett cut in."I see where you're going with this…"

"That would be correct, yes," Carlisle nodded. "Edward, like I said, I haven't been spying per say, but I have seen you out there, with that girl, enough times to know what must have been going on. Like I told your brother, if it happens once, or maybe twice, it's nothing; but if it happens more times than that, then it's a pattern…"

"Fine, sometimes I enjoy the company of another human being, so sue me," Edward snapped. "What makes you think it's always the same girl though? For me, one of the biggest perks of moving into the garage apartment was the privacy that came with it. I quite like the freedom of being able to have guests come and go as I please. How can you be so sure I haven't been bringing home different girls every week? I mean, after all, that's what Emmett did once he was old enough to move down into his little love shack in the basement."

"Hey, don't drag me into this," the older boy protested. "Considering the issues you have with personal space and with others invading that space, I'd have to say I'm with dad on this one…. It gotta be someone special, if you let her come over more than once, or twice." He lowered her voice to a conspiratorial tone."You're quite selective with who you engage with sexually. So who is this girl? I mean, I know who came out of your room this morning and all, but I never thought Je-…"

"Shut the F up! Don't say another word," Edward warned, punching his brother's shoulder so hard he nearly fell out of his chair.

Emmett's response was to wrap his arms around Edward's neck in a headlock, one of his specialties. Edward, of course, wouldn't have that and tried to wriggle himself free.

The wrestling continued until Carlisle brought his fingers up to his lips, and whistled so loudly they boys had to cover their ears to protect their eardrums.

"Please, boys! No fighting in here," Carlisle spoke calmly, once he had their attention. "Sit your asses back down! I'm not done with you yet."

"Sorry, dad," Emmett said, repositioning himself in his chair again. "I couldn't resist ribbing Eddie a little for his questionable taste in girls. I didn't mean anything by it and he knows it."

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to your brother."

"Sorry, bro." Emmett said, giving the younger boy's knee a little pat. "You know I love you, even when you make horrible choices and epic mistakes. If you DO have a girlfriend, we'd all love to meet her, if not… then, don't mind us, just carry on as you were… but with condoms! Always use condoms! Right, dad?"

"Emmett, that's enough from you," Carlisle scolded, but couldn't quite seem to keep a few chuckles from escaping. It was short lived though as he remembered why he'd seen it necessary to have this little 'talk' to begin with.

"It's my responsibility as your father to make sure you are educated about safe sex and the risks involved with being sexually active. And I'm not just talking about unplanned teen pregnancies here. Don't forget there are sexually transmitted diseases to consider as well."

"Riiight, and who is the only one currently present in this room to never have had an STD?" Edward snorted, pointing at himself with both thumbs. "I use condoms religiously and I always check the expiration date beforehand. I'm not having any 'accidents', thank you very much!"

"That's excellent, son. However, please remember condoms can malfunction and break for no apparent reason," Carlisle said, ignoring the jibe about STDs. Yes, he'd once admitted to his sons that he'd caught Chlamydia his first year in college. Another mistake he had done out of sheer, youthful stupidity. That was not what they were meant to be talking about here today though.

"It can happen when worn incorrectly, or simply due to too much heat, or not enough lubricant," he continued."No matter how careful, or gentle, you are, the friction alone can cause the condom to tear."

"That's why you should always choose a good quality brand, even if it costs you a bit more." Emmett chimed in."And never open the wrapper with your teeth, no matter how cool it makes you look."

"Yes. Also, keep them away from direct sunlight and warm places like the glove box of the car or the inside of a wallet."Carlisle nodded.

"Really?" Edward was looking a bit concerned at this point."Even if you have air-con in the glove box?"

"Well personally I wouldn't risk it…."

"Wow, would you look at that," Emmet laughed, "Turns out Mr. knows-it-all doesn't actually know it all! I'm loving this…"

"Says the one who didn't know hand creams and body lotions make bad lubricants," Edward shot back."Anything that's not water or silicone based is bad news."

"That's correct, oil-based lubricants can actually cause rapid deterioration of a condom."

"Great dad, now you're telling me….. I wish you would have told me that when I was fifteen and too embarrassed to walk into a store and purchase proper lube."

"Sorry son. My bad," Carlisle apologized with a frown.

"That's at least two pregnancy scares that could have been avoided," Edward snorted.

Carlisle sincerely hoped Edward was joking and just trying to get back at his brother for making fun of him earlier, though he could not be sure that was actually the case as Emmett merely shrugged, looking a bit pink-faced.

Just then, however, the boy's face snapped up as if he'd just thought of something, "Hey dad, is it true that condoms are more likely to break during a longer sex session? Say 45 minutes, or so…?"

"Why do you need to know that for? It's not, like you'd ever last longer than 30 seconds, anyway." Edward said with a shake of his head.

"The short answer-yes. The more wear and tear it's subjected to, the greater the risk of failure will be... If you're making it a marathon session, take a break and put a new one on. And please, never re-use a condom."

Carlisle looked between his two sons to see if they had more questions. When that didn't seem to be the case he continued. "Okay, one last piece of advice… Using more than one method of birth control never hurt anyone. Am I being clear?"

"Not really… Was that directed to me, or Edward?" Emmett asked. "Because, I've already promised I'll be more careful in the future."

"It was a general piece of advice to the both of you. It's something I'd tell any teen coming to me for advice." Carlisle clarified. "If you don't have a fallback method, then all it takes is one broken condom , or one missed pill… and you'll be left with a lifelong responsibility to care and pay for."

"Alright, so Emmett will wear condoms and I'll flush my weed. Are we done here now?!"

"We are, but… Edward, if you ever feel like talking, you know I'm here for you, right? You can come to me with anything… big or small, silly or serious...My door is always open for you, alright?"

When the boy's only response was a blank expression, he tried again, "If the reason you don't have a special someone in your life at the moment, is at all related to your OCD and anxiety issues, then it might help talking about it with someone - if not a professional, then an adult at least. We know how you feel about therapy, so we haven't been pushing for it to happen sooner, but if this girl is someone you have feelings for, then maybe it's worth rethinking your stand-…."

"How many times do I have to say it? There is no girl. There never was a girl. I don't do girls… err, I mean girlfriends. I don't' do GIRLFRIENDS."

"Oooh, does this mean Eddie has a boyfriend?" Emmett teased. "When do we get to meet him? Or is it someone I already know? Is it Ben? No wait, I bet it's James?"

"Shut ut, Em! I just meant, I'm into girls, just not girlfriends. I don't do relationships. That's not for me. Definitely prefer girls though. No question about that!" Edward was fuming, while his brother was cackling in the background.

"I'm glad to hear that son. Not that there would be anything wrong if you preferred boys…"

"Geez, I'm NOT Gay," Edward muttered, checking the time on his phone. "Can we get out of here now? Please…"

"Listen, I know relationships are hard when you're young, but don't give up searching for that special someone, because sex is SO much better when you care about the person, trust me."

"Yeah, whatever…"

"No not whatever. You forget, I don't only pay Emmett's gas bills, I pay yours too, Edward. I also monitor the purchases you make with your AmEx card. Those bills don't lie. There were several quite noticeable changes in your habits last year. You were home more. You made fewer trips into town and fewer late night ATM cash withdrawals. Also, we received substantially fewer complaints about rowdy behavior from your teachers… Don't get me wrong, these were all very good changes. We saw a glimpse of a more carefree Edward and we liked it. You seemed more relaxed and more comfortable in your own skin there for a while..."

"Well dad, good weed tends to have that effect on you," Edward huffed in response.

"So does having someone in your life that you really truly care about."

"Ooooh, so does sex," Emmett offered. "Especially if it's good and you get to have it frequently with your special someone… Nice catch there, dad."

"Like I said, we liked those changes we saw Edward…I'd hate to see you slip back into your old ways again. Breakups hurt, and you're going to need to acknowledge that some things are going to make you feel sad. You can't control your emotions, but you can control your responses. I know this summer has been rough on all of us, but-…"

"You don't listen, do you?!" Edward snapped. "I don't care what you think you know about my life. There was no girlfriend, no breakup, no special someone... I just like to fuck, a lot. Now, give it a rest."

"I feel so out of loop here!" Emmett whined. "This is not like you at all though, Eddie. I mean, I go away for college for a few months and suddenly my little brother is sneaking in girls to his bedroom. I mean, you used to tell me EVERYTHING. When you lost your virginity, I knew about it less than ten minutes after you left the girls house…This almost makes me think it actually is a dude, after all. Come on, you can tell us, we won't judge-…"

" .GAY!" Edward looked ready to punch his brother again, but then he threw his hands up in an I-give-up gesture. "Fine, if you must know, I used to have a fuck-buddy-agreement with someone there for a while. It ended ages ago though, before the summer. And no, it wasn't a dude and it wasn't Tanya, Lauren, or Jessica freaking Stanley! And it doesn't even matter who it was, because it got messy after a while, so I called it off. It was a clean break. And I haven't really spoken to her since. Happy now?"

"Happy? No I'm confused…. Was it Leah?"

"Wait, I'm NOT happy," Carlisle felt the need to cut in. "I don't want to live in a world where my sons think it's okay to refer to a sexual partner as a 'fuck-buddy', because, that's not okay in my book… Everyone deserves to be treated with the same respect. Be it the love of your life, or the hookup you're trying to forget, be kind always. Also, call me old fashioned, but if you had sex with her multiple times, then it was a relationship, a casual one at that, but a relationship all the same."

"Sorry, 'friends with benefits', if that sounds better," Edward amended. "I've been nothing but respectful. I wanted us to stay friends, or at least stay on friendly terms, after our arrangement fell apart. She's the one that's been totally unreasonable on that front..."

"You had an 'arrangement' that fell apart? Geez, you kids are gonna be the death of me," Carlisle sighed, rubbing his temples."Listen, I know I've been a bit preoccupied lately, focusing most of my attention on your mother and her recovery… I just want the both of you to know that you matter, too. In fact, you're the most important part of my life. I'm gonna let you go now, just remember that I'm here to help. If you ever need anything, my door is always open, alright?"

"So you can give us more lectures we don't need, and never asked for. Thanks, but no thanks!" Edward responded, but with no real heat behind his words.

"Oh brother, why so bitter?! I'm the one that's been left with no money and a shit load of bills to pay this month…" Emmett muttered, getting up from his chair.

"Just, wait til you tell the Ice Queen she can't go to that concert, she'll skin you alive, and sell your body to science." Edward was already at the door, wasting no time to get out of the room.

"Wait boys!" Carlisle called out, having just remembered something. "Can one of you call Jasper and invite him over tonight after dinner? I want to have a word with him as well."

"Why?" Emmett turned back on the threshold "Is he in trouble?"

"He was here last night, with your sister, was he not? I've seen photos… I wish I could un-see them, to tell you the truth. While Jasper seems quite smitten with your sister, he also seems quite….handsy?"

"Handsy? He's a horny seventeen-year-old, what do you expect? Seriously dad, he was sober the whole night, last night. He was covering shift for someone at work and pretty much worked nonstop all weekend. When he wasn't working, he was helping Alice rigging for this party and afterwards he helped her with the cleanup. That makes him virtually a saint. He's a nice guy… Don't scare him away! Okay?!"

"I know he's your friend. I know you've known him forever, but he's dating your sister now. I should have sat him down for a talk ages ago."

"Who should warn Jaz that he is getting the safe-sex talk? Me or you?" Emmett asked in Edward's direction

Carlisle didn't catch the response. It sounded something like, "that'll send him running for sure."

Oh well… If it did, then so be it. Alice was too young for anything serous anyway…. But he didn't say that aloud, of course. What he said was, "I'm only scary when I need to be."

"If he runs, it will be from second hand embarrassment having to listen to you trying to sound like a 'cool and hip parent' while demonstrating how to put on a condom on a cucumber," Emmet snorted, skipping out the door.

Teenagers! He shook his head. "I happen to think safe is cool, thank you very much!"

"Yeah, sure dad. I'll call Jasper for you, alright."

"Thank you, son. See you at dinner!"

"See'ya!" And with that the door slammed shut.

.

.


	31. Chapter 31

_**AN: And we're back in present time, with Bella paying a visit to Bree's school.**_

 _ **.**_

 **-=[Isabelle Higginbotham, the present ]=-**

 **31.**

 **.**

 _Previously:_

 _'Well, you cannot hide forever,' Bella told herself firmly._

 _"Mike, you don't happen to have the number to Ridgewood's administration office, do you?" she blurted out, before she could change her mind._

 _It was time to push herself and her life forward._

.

...

.

Bella was waiting in the teacher's lounge for Emily Young to finish whatever work she had to complete before heading home for the day, when someone came in and nodded at her in greeting.

It was a young man. He was slender and tall, with a serious look about him. Too old to be a student, but too young to be a teacher. Maybe a teaching assistant of some sort. He disappeared into a room branching off from the main room. A few moments later he reappeared, now with a backpack on his shoulders and an umbrella in his hand.

"Are you waiting for Ms. Young?" he asked while zipping up his jacket.

Bella nodded, looking down at her phone to check the time. It was a quarter past three in the afternoon."She hasn't left already, has she?"

"No, she is just finishing up a few preparations for tomorrow. Does she know you're here, waiting for her?"

"No, I spoke with…eh, I'm sorry I don't remember her name, someone at the administration office. Short, blonde hair, very friendly…"

"That's Shelly Coop, she's my aunt."

"Oh, well she was closing up for the day, but she said I could wait here for Miss Young."

"You're not a parent are you? We're not supposed to have parents here in the teachers' lounge… or students."

"I'm neither. Isabelle Higginbotham," Bella introduced herself, offering her hand. "I'm a….therapist, or I guess you could say a therapist-in-training. I'm here to make an assessment on one of your students. She's a special need's student." Bella lied, hoping her answer was vague enough to not raise too many eyebrows. After all, special need's students did get evaluated from time to time. There was nothing unusual about that…

"Oh, you're here about Bree?"

"Yes, Bree Tanner." Bella nodded. "You know her? I mean, of course you do. I realize this is a small school, in a small town."

"I'm the teacher aide assigned to assist Bree," he admitted after a moment of hesitation.

"Oh…that's excellent. Then you're just the right person for me to speak with. I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?"

"I'm Liam," he said, blushing a bit. He turned his back for a second to put his backpack down on the floor and when he turned back he looked a bit more composed. "Liam Biers."

So, this young man was Liam Biers, the same man Tanner had mentioned in passing, Bree's boyfriends older brother, was it? – What were the odds of running straight into him after leaving Tanner's property?

"Do you have a minute?" she asked. Now that he'd come closer, Bella could see that he had a slightly busted lip and a bit of a shiner. Poor guy, size wise Embry Tanner had a good 20 pounds advantage on this kid.

"Eh, I'm in a bit of a rush. I need to be at the gym in fifteen minutes," he said, but after a second he sighed and took a seat on a nearby chair. "I really do care about Bree though and I'd like to help her every way I can. I know her home situation isn't ideal…" he trailed off. "I mean, she's an excellent student; really easy to work with.… Easily the smartest person around here, myself and all the teachers included. I've never met anyone like her, actually..."

"I assume you've heard what happened to her, haven't you?"

"I know she's in hospital, but I've heard she's doing well, all things considered…?" he replied so cautiously it came out sounding like a question.

"Yeah, I saw her this morning." Bella nodded. "She is doing okay. I wouldn't be surprised if she's released soon."

"I'm glad to hear that," he said, but didn't follow it up with anything else.

Either he wasn't a very talkative guy…. Or there was some other reason why he was clamming up right now.

"So, how long have you been working here, Liam?" Bella asked, trying to get him to relax. "Is it okay, if I call you Liam?"

"That's my name."

"So how long?"

"A while."

"A while?"

"I finished high school little over a year and a half ago. I've been here since then."

"Do you like it here? I must say, it's a pretty good first job for someone fresh out of high school."

"I was working odd shifts at the supermarket for a bit, but really hated it. Then Shelly, my aunt, got me a job here - not this job, but A job. I was originally hired to assist the school janitor with daily light cleaning of the common areas and classrooms."

"That's nice of your aunt to help you out. So how did you end up becoming a teacher's aide then?"

"I know what you're thinking –what's he doing here with no college degree and no training. I've worked one summer camp, that's the extent of my experience working with teenagers prior to this. To tell you the truth, they were pretty desperate to fill this position."

"How come?"

"Well, you see someone was forced to leave eight weeks into the school year and the school board needed the 'situation' to go away quietly. I was already on the payroll… so… I became the temporary solution. But I'm still here, so I must be doing something right."

"Forced to leave? On what grounds?"

"I'm probably not supposed to tell you this… but the guy before me got busted downloading child pornography on his work laptop. He wasn't particularly bright that one. He had all the right diplomas, prior work experience, clean records, but… yeah, was fired after that incident."

"I see… But Liam, do you actually know any sign language?"

"I do now," he signed his answer. "Bree has taught me some of the basics."

Bella bit her lip, silently translating. "How does that work? She's supposed to have a sign language interpreter assisting her in school. I'm not criticizing you, it sounds like you've been doing a good job helping her. She's passing all her school assignments with flying colors from what I understand, but still… "

"We did a lot of note-writing in the beginning. She's not… a normal teenager, like I said before, she's a highly intelligent individual. This is a small school with small class sizes; all the teachers know all the students and keep an eye on them so that no student falls behind. Everyone is very accommodating given the situation, making sure Bree can keep up. She handles most, if not all, of her school assignments on her own. She doesn't need much assistance really," he insisted.

This was the most he'd spoken as of yet. Bella had a feeling he would continue to praise the girl six way from Sunday, if she didn't prompt him to talk about something else.

"What about outside the clasroom?" she asked. "I know how teenagers are, always looking for someone to pick on to gain approval from their peers. She's a bit on the small side and with the disadvantage of a handicap."

"It's not too bad. We do try and keep the bullying to a minimum. This is her last year here before starting high school though. I'ts hard to tell what will happen then..."

"What about you? You got any college plans for next year? Or do you think you'll stay on as a teacher's aide?"

"Maybe, I haven't actually decided yet. Why all these questions about me though? What do my plans have to do with anything? I thought this was bout Bree and her special needs… "

"Sorry, I was just curious," Bella apologized hastily. "You mentioned something about Bree's home conditions being less than ideal… You care to expand on that a little?

"No… That's none of my business. I just know she does most of her homework on her lunch breaks. I don't think she gets much time for it at home. And, also I don't think it's right that a girl her age have to work after school as much as she does, but that's just me…"

"Ah yeah, I've heard about that. When you say 'have to', do you mean that her father is pressuring her to it?"

"I don't know. I've actually asked her about it. Bree says she likes working and that she's saving up money for college. Honestly though, her father has enough money to put at least ten kids through college... so I don't get why she has to work, but again, that's just me..."

"I met with her father earlier today… and one of her brothers – Embry Tanner … "

"Charming, aren't they…" Liam muttered.

"Yeah, but I knew that already. I went to high school with Embry. Well Laurent too, actually," she explained when he looked at her curiously. "We didn't run in the same circles, but I knew who they were and vice versa I suppose."

"So you're from around here, then?"

"I moved around a lot as a kid," she shrugged. "So, anyway… I heard you and Embry ended up in an alteration this past weekend, over Bree no less."

"Is that was this is about?" His face went pale and his eyes clouded over with bitter anger. "Have they made a complaint to the school board, is that it? It's not about helping Bree at all, they just want me fired…"

"I have had no contact with the school board. No one's out to get you fired, not that I know of anyway." Bella hurried to say as she saw him get to his feet. "Can I ask what the argument was about though?" she asked, trying to get his to stay. "I'll be speaking to the police next. You can tell me with your own words what happened, or I can ask them. Your choice…"

"You already know what it was about, you said so yourself."

"I know it was about Bree, yes. I know it happened only two days after she was admitted to hospital, but I don't know any details. I'm guessing Embry was accusing you of being responsible, in some capacity, for what his sister is going through. I know Bree is quite close with your little brother, Ryan."

This had Liam stopping in his tracks. "Riley, his name is Riley. And he had nothing to do with any of this. He's just a kid, he cares more about video games and comic books than he does about girls."

"So they are not-…"

"Having sex… What the fuck, NO! They are two fourteen year olds. And my brother would never force himself on anyone…especially not her."

"I was going to say 'dating'. Her father said they've been dating for a while, but that the most he'd seen them do was hold hands."

"Yeah, well Embry used words like 'fucking' and 'raping' and 'defiling' before he started throwing punches. He started it. I know I should have walked away. He was obviously drunk, but…my temper got the best of me. Anyway, the police showed up after a while to separate us. I ended up spending the night down at the police station, while Tanner was brought home to daddy, I presume… Anyway, there you have it, that's what happened. If anyone tries to tell you differently, then they are lying…"

"You're nineteen, aren't you?"

"I'll turn 20 in about a month. What does that has to do with anything?"

"Surely you remember how it was to be fourteen?" she asked him carefully.

"Riley says he hasn't touched her that way and I know he's telling the truth. My brother wouldn't lie to me about something like that."

"Okay," she nodded simply. "Liam, do you know WHY Bree was brought to the hospital last Thursday?"

"I've… I've heard rumors, that she was assaulted, or attacked… and that she had injuries on her arms and legs from fighting her attacker," he answered, his voice wobbling a bit, suggesting he was trying really hard not to break down. Poor kid….

"Also, the police came to speak with my mom, asking where my brother had been that night etcetera. They told her they'd done a rape kit, but that they didn't expect anything to come of it."

Hearing this had Bella fuming. That kind of information wasn't something the police should be going around telling people outside her immediate family.

"I'm sorry you had to hear-... " she started saying, but was interrupted when a door was opened and someone stepped into the room.

It was, of course, Emily Young.

..

..


	32. Chapter 32

_**AN: Still at Bree's school, speaking with Miss Young.**_

 _ **.**_

 **-=[Isabelle Higginbotham, the present ]=-**

 _Previously:_

 _"I'm sorry you had to hear that Liam-.. " Bella started saying, but was interrupted when a door was opened and someone stepped into the room._

 _._

 **31.**

.

Bella looked up as someone, a woman, came in through the door. Bella knew exactly who she was, for indeed she looked the same as she had five years ago. It was Emily Young.

"Isabella Sw-"

"Belle Higginbotham," Bella hurried to interrupt her. _Gosh, she really wasn't fooling anyone with the shorter haircut and the trendy glasses._

Emily Young was cousin with the Clearwater siblings, and had grown up living on the Makah reservation. They had met before on a few occasions. Never really spoken though, Bella had been under the impression that Emily didn't speak much at all. Back then, she'd seemed the type of girl that would wait and listen to her boyfriend's opinion first before she would voice any original thoughts or opinions of her own.

Appearance wise, Bella had always found her a bit timid looking, but she was definitely pretty with her big expressive eyes, caramel skin. Her shiny, bouncy, perfectly-styled dark hair was even longer now than it had been when they were teenagers. She wore it loose around her shoulders, concealing what was perhaps the only flaw in Emily's otherwise flawless appearance. Bella knew she had a thin white scar that ran down her left temple to her cheekbone and she knew who gave it to her.

'Why are you still with him?' she wanted to ask, but that was hardly an appropriate way to strike up a conversation with someone you hadn't seen in years and never really been friends with in the first place.

"Weren't you in a hurry to get to the gym, Li," Emily asked Liam, who straightened his back and nodded, "Yes, I was just about to leave." Then, he hesitated, "You want me to get Mr. Carson for you?"

"No, it's fine," Emily assured him and pointed between herself to Bella. "I've been expecting this visit. We actually know each other from years back. Isn't that right Bell-e?"

"Yes, that's right. Thanks Liam, for staying and talking to me. In case you think of anything else, or if you have any message you want me to pass along to Bree, don't hesitate to let me know. I'll leave my phone number with Ms Young, alright?"

"Yeah okay," he nodded without meeting her eyes. He was clearly avoiding looking at her directly for some reason. "See you tomorrow Miss Emily, and.. err… bye Ms-…?"

"Just Belle. Belle is fine."

He nodded again, before picking up his backpack and hurried out the door.

.

..

.

" Liam is a good boy; very considerate and helpful. He'll probably look for Carson on his way out, even though I told him not to," Emily said, closing the door, and taking a seat in the chair Liam had just vacated. "Carson is the janitor around here. I wouldn't be surprised if he pokes his head in here in a bit to check up on us."

"Okay, well I'm not here to cause any trouble."

"No, I know that. We've had problems with parents yelling at teachers in meetings, showing up unannounced, sending emails at all hours of the night etc. Let's just say, some parents were very involved in their children's education."

"It's a tough job, no doubt. I'm not sure I could do what you do, so kudos for sticking it out day in and day out."

"Thanks," she nodded her head and placed her hands on the table. "So, like I said, I've been expecting you. I heard from my Sam, who heard from Officer Newton this morning that you had expressed that you wanted to come by and see me. I've been told you have questions about Bree Tanner –one of my best students by the way."

"Wow, I had forgotten how fast and effective the small town jungle drums can be. But yes, that's right. I'd like to talk to you about Bree. "

Emily let out a little laugh. "Yeah, words spread pretty fast around here."

"Well okay, you probably already know this, but just to be clear; I'm not here representing the police, or social services, or or any other authorities like that. I've simply been asked by the police to speak with Bree and see if I can get her to open up about what happened to her last Thursday. Naturally, Chief Jenks fully expects me to report back to him with my findings, but between you and me, my number one priority is to watch out for Bree's best interest."

Emily tilted her head to the side, looking thoughtful. "You're fluent in sign language, aren't you?"

"I am somewhat fluent, yes. My grandmother taught me a bit, growing up and I've taken some ASL classes quite recently, to brush up and expand my knowledge."

Emily remained silent for a moment, then said slowly, "You know what? If Bree decides to open up and talk to someone, then I figure you're a good person for her to confide in. I'm was sorry to hear about your dad. I hope he gets well soon. I know the circumstances are not the best, but I'm glad you're here and can assist the police with this. Keep in mind though that Bree is quite stubborn, so she might not speak at all."

"So I've noticed. And thank you," Bella gave a courteous bow of her head. "My feelings about coming back here are mixed. It doesn't help that everyone seems to already know that I'm back and why I'm back… I thought I'd be able to slip in and out unnoticed, but… nope…"

"Don't listen to what anybody says, except the people whose opinion you value and care about," Emily said with a sincere tone of voice. "So tell me, how can I help you, helping Bree?"

.

…

.

Despite her timid, quiet nature, Emily had a lot to say it turned out.

"We've reported Eleazar Tanner twice for possible child neglect, me and Mr. Greene, the gym teacher. There were bruising on her arms and a wound on her thigh that wasn't properly tended to. I was interviewed by a caseworker from social services, who said these kinds of allegations are taken very seriously, but… As you might have guessed, nothing really came out of it."

"How recent was this?"

"Last school year, mid-February," Emily answered. "Bree defended her father and showed her unyielding loyalty to her family. It's hard to help someone that doesn't want to be helped. We wanted it on record, that we were concerned. And now it seems it has happened again…"

"You think her father-…"

"I don't know who's responsible for what, but he's her father, it's his job to keep her safe."

"Did you notice any changes in her behavior or personality?"

"After last February? She did seem slightly more withdrawn and skittish than usual. However, it's difficult to distinguish which changes in someone's personality are due to them growing up and maturing, versus those due to stressful and traumatic life events."

"What about her overall health? I saw Bree at the hospital earlier and I have to say she looked frail, almost ghost like. Have you noticed any changes in her appearance recently? Has she been eating right? Developing and growing as she should? Have you noticed any weight loss, weight gain-…"

"Don't beat around the bush. You're not asking about her weight, simply because you fear she might be malnourished, now are you? What you really want to ask is whether or not I have had any reason to suspect the girl was pregnant," Emily said bluntly. "I was there when she was admitted to the hospital… and also, I've got a friend who's a nurse there. I don't want to get neither Bree nor my friend in trouble, but yeah, that's how I know there has been a confirmed miscarriage."

"I was hoping that piece of information wouldn't get out," Bella sighed. "Did you suspect anything beforehand though?"

"No, and I don't think anyone else did either. Bree broke her arm over the summer; she came back to school with a doctor's note and hasn't been participating in P.E full out yet. There was a slight weight gain, yes, but that's fairly normal when you hit puberty. I took that as a good sign. To tell you the truth, I've had my suspicions in the past about her not eating nearly as much as a growing child should. Since you've already spoken to Liam, I assume he told you about how I usually offer Bree a ride to and from the grocery store every week?"

Oh, Bella had not expected that. "No, he didn't mention that and neither did her father. Is he even aware you do this for his daughter? Tanner, I mean."

"I doubt her father knows. It started almost two years ago. I was heading out to visit mom, who lives right outside the reservation, and on my way there I saw Bree walking down the road, struggling with two overstuffed grocery bags. Naturally, I stopped and offered her a ride home. She wasn't thrilled that I had spotted her, but there was rain threatening to fall, as it so often does in these parts, so I think she realized she couldn't refuse the offer without it looking odd. That's how it started. It's almost a routine part of our lives now, but in the beginning I had to pretend I had errands to the store just so that I could bump into her."

"So now you do it every week, or as often a she'll let you?"

"Yes, exactly. As often as I can and as often as she lets me. Unfortunately, I don't see her much during the school breaks. That's why I was pleasantly surprised when she returned to school after the summer looking a bit fuller in the face and with a healthy glow about her."

"I see. What about this past week? Did you take her shopping this Thursday, by any chance?"

"No, we had plans, but as the school day was coming to an end, she came and let me know she didn't need a ride after all. Her boyfriend, Riley Biers, was with her at the time, so I just assumed she meant she'd be going home with him, because of her father being out of town and all."

"Riley and Liam are brothers?" Bella asked, even though she already knew that was the case.

"Yes, and Liam, of course, has his own car."

"So they hang out after school hours as well? Bree and Liam, I mean? Is that a regular thing?"

"No, I don't' think so. I guess you could say they've got Riley in common. You always see Bree with Riley. They've been thick as thieves for as long as I've known them. I didn't know they were boyfriend and girlfriend though. That is a rather recent development. I must admit it came as a bit of a surprise to me, but what do I know…And for the record, I don't think Riley is in any way responsible for what happened to her. He has a big heart, that kid."

"Even the most well behaved teenagers have a natural curiosity about grown-up things such as sex, alcohol and other recreational drugs, and have an increasing need to fit in with the world."

"I suppose anything is possible. They are both well behaved students though. I have no reason to suspect alcohol or drug use, not whilst at school anyway."

"Do you think Bree knew she was pregnant?" The million dollar question…

"Oh, that's a tough one." Emily was shaking her head."At 14, she's certainly old enough to know and recognize al lot of the signs. I'd say she's certainly intelligent enough to figure it out."

Bella opened her mouth to object that intelligence had little to do with it, but before she could do so, Emily continued, realizing perhaps that what she'd just said could easily be misinterpreted. "I know, I know… there are psychological factors that may come into play as well," she amended quickly. "Especially, if the pregnancy was the result of non-consensual sex. Aren't your specialty troubled teens though? What do you think?"

"The textbook answer would be that denial as a defense mechanism allows individuals to cope with sources of anxiety that would otherwise be too overwhelming," she supplied the answer carefully. "Books and studies only get you so far though. You're the one that works with these teenagers every day all year round. Plus, you live here, you're local. I'm sure you've got insight into this that I don't. "

Emliy folded her arms and took her time mulling it over. "Alright, since you're here and since you're asking what I think, I'm gonna give you my own personal opinion. I obviously don't know for sure, who the guilty party in all this is, but I can make a qualified guess. Her two no good for nothing brothers are high up on my list of questionable individuals. Also, I know her father is said to have been out of town last week, but was he really? When did he actually come back? And what did he return to?"

"That little girl has been wronged grievously over a lengthy period of time," she continued. "Not necessarily talking about inappropriate inter-family relations here, though I'm not ruling that out completely either-…"

"Whoa, those are quite serious accusations, which I believe the policeand social services are in the process of investigating, or they should be anyway," Bella cut in, feeling the hair on his neck stand on end. It wasn't like she hadn't been thinking pretty similar thoughts herself. "Let's not speculate too much at this stage," she cautioned.

"Yeah, you're right… Sorry. It's just…when I saw her that night there was so much panic and fear in her eyes… Sam had phoned me to let me know he was running late. When I heard he had encountered one of my students, alone, scared and in need of medical attention, and when he said he thought it was the deaf girl, I immediately demanded to know where he was. I went out there, thinking I could be of help. I do know a little bit of sign language and I'd like to believe I'm someone Bree trusts and feel comfortable around. But as I arrived there, I realized there was very little I could do for her. She was inconsolable and in hysterics… and utterly, utterly terrified. I think maybe she thought she was dying, because of the blood… I just wish I'd done more to help her."

"You can still help her by being there for her when she comes back to school. For her to carry on as if nothing has happened is going to be difficult. She'll need all the support she can get."

"Keeping up with school seems to mean a great deal to her," Emily nodded.

"Also, keep reporting every bruise and scratch you see. Or at the very least, take detailed notes, in case this ends up in court. You might be asked to take the stand. Write down what you've seen and when you saw it. "

"I could be asked to take the stand? In court?" Emily asked as if the thought hadn't occurred to her until just then.

"As of right now, no arrest has been made and no one has been charged with anything…I'd like to see justice being served though-…" She stopped when she saw a frown on the other woman's face. "Would that be a problem for you? Taking the stand?"

"If one of the Tanner's ends up being charged, yes, then it would be a problem. This is such a small town and doing something like that could have serious repercussions, not just for me, but for my family as a whole."

"You're saying your-… you're saying Sam would not let you do it? Sorry, I don't know if the two of you are married, or engaged or… ? You referred to him as 'my' Sam earlier, but everyone calls you Miss Young?"

"We're nothing at the moment… Or well, we're co-parents of a 3 year old, but that's all. He's pushing for us to get back together, but I'm not convinced a relationship with him is the right thing for me at the moment. The last thing I want is to rock the boat though, for my son's sake. I don't want to myself anything by getting myself in a position where I get half the town against me, my son's father included. We don't have a custody and visitation agreement in writing, you see. I have to be careful with my decisions."

"Okay fair enough- …"

"I know what you're thinking, that I'm nuts for even considering getting back together with him." While talking about it she ran her fingers over her scar. Bella wasn't sure if she was aware she was doing it or not.

"I think if you have a child together, it's not that clear cut."

"You're being way too understanding and easy on me, Isabella," she said wistfully. "Bree is not the only one I wish I could have done more to help… I know we weren't exactly friends, back then, but I see a lot of similarities. It's almost a bit eerie."

Say what now? Bella could feel her eyebrows rising in surprise.

"I… don't know what you expect me to respond to that. No, we weren't friends. Did we ever exchange more than a few polite greetings with one another? I don't think so. I wasn't even sure what your last name was until Mike mentioned it the other day. So why are you bringing this up now, or at all? We should be focusing on Bree and not waste time on something that's too late to do anything about anyway. "

"I know, I know…I just wanted to say, what they did to you—no, correction- what HE did to you was wrong on so many levels! If I had known what was going on, I would have said something… I mean, I knew something was going on, I just didn't know what it was."

"Okay, that's easy to say now, years later. Frankly, I'm not sure I believe you. There was this stupid gang mentality bullshit going on…HE was one of Sam's buddies… You all ran in the same 'pack', or whatever you want to call it. Speaking up against HIM would have been like speaking up against Sam. No offence, but you just admitted Sam is part of the reason why you would never take the stand for Bree," Bella _said with conviction_. "So no, I don't think you would have spoken up on my behalf. Not when you didn't even have the guts to stick up for your cousin Leah. How is Leah by the way? Have you spoken with her lately?"

"Wha-..?!Yes, I speak to her regularly." Emily blinked, her face blushing light pink."She lives in Hawaii, happily married with a baby on the way. But you already know this, don't you?" she concluded, looking down at her hands in her lap."You know what, that was harsh, Isabella. I was only trying to be nice and say that I wish I, or someone in the 'know', could have helped you get the truth out sooner."

"I don't think the whole truth ever did come out about this and it probably never will... but whatever. Let's focus on Bree, instead of rehashing the past. I only have one more questions, then I'm done here an we can go our separate ways."

"Okay, what's the question?"

"I just wanted to ask about her friends. Does Bree have anyone she can talk to? A female friend perhaps that she confides in?"

"Not here at school, no. Riley is pretty much the only student she talks to around here."

"What about at work? I believe she works with a high school student named 'Jane'. Have you ever heard of her?"

"Yes, that's right. There is a Jane at the Newton's. I don't know her personally. I can't say if they are close or not. But it doesn't hurt to speak with her, I suppose…"

"Okay. I think that's enough for today. Thanks for your cooperation and sorry for putting you on a spot like that." With a forced smile on her face Bella rose from her seat.

"Can I give you a piece of advice?" Emily suggested.

 _Oh boy. That would be a big fat no… Don't bother, I don't want to hear it…_

"Sure," Bella heard herself respond.

"They spread his ashes on Rialato Beach. Maybe you should go there and make peace with him. Scream your anger out, let go of everything negative and never let those feelings drown you again."

"That is… actually not a bad advice." Bella replied as she moved towards the door. "However, I've already made my peace with everything that happened and I'm not traveling down that fucked up road again. So, thanks, but no thanks…"

"Okay," Emily shrugged."You asked me about Leah. Let me return the question… When you say you've made your peace with the past, does that mean you've been in contacts with the Cullens? I'm thinking about Alice in particular…"

Bella fish mouthed a bit before scrambling for something to say.

"No, I didn't think so," Emily continued. "Her twin, now that's different... That guy has always been an arrogant bastard, not to mention a complete fuck up. I can understand your reasons for not wanting anything to do with him, but Alice and the rest of the family..."

"Maybe you should work on your character judging skills, Ms. Young. I'd say Edward's worth ten times of your Sam for instance. If anything is fucked up, it's this town and you know it!"

Bella turned around and left with those parting words, hurrying out to her car as fast as her legs would take her.

She knew she would probably regret burning this particular bridge. Emily was not likely to talk to her again anytime soon. She could only hope the woman would not turn her back on Bree because of this.

.

…

.


	33. Chapter 33

**AN: Emmett does some prodding to get Edward talking. And once Edward gets started there is no shutting him up.**

 **-=[ Isabella Swan, the past]=-**

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Edward pov

33.

..

…

..

Later in the afternoon-an hour, or so, after their father's tragicomical (or horricomical...?)safe-sex talk- Edward and Emmett were sprawled out on a couch each in their parents' living room watching a b grade horror movie.

"Heidi?"

"Charlotte?"

"Kate?"

Emmett was rattling off names, while Edward continued ignoring him, focusing on the movie instead. Rosalie was right though, this was possibly the worst horror movie ever made. She'd upped-and-left ten minutes into it. Edward was tempted to do the same at this point. However, that would involve moving around and his pounding head wouldn't be too happy about that.

"Listen Eddie, you've gotta give me something here…"

"No, you listen. Obviously, you can't take a hint and leave me alone," Edward fixed his brother with a withering glare. "I'm not going to tell you anything, so just give up."

"What about McKenna? She's cute AND a quick thinker. You like smart girls, don't you?" Emmett said, as if not comprehending what Edward had just told him.

"Yuck, that's almost incestuous. " Edward groaned. "Like I would shack up with someone that used to run around the house playing dolls with our sister. Shut up about it already!"

"Ooh touchy. Is that a yes?" Emmet chuckled, dangling a leg over the edge of the couch.

"It's a shut up," Edward repeated. "I'll never tell you. Why does it even matter who it was? It is over and done with… I'm trying to forget it even happened in the first place."

He sank deeper into the couch cushion and turned his head to stare at the intricate designs of the expensive fabric.

"And how is that working out for you?" Emmett smiled wryly.

"Fine. Great." Edward lowered his gaze. "Whatever….I prefer not to think about it too much."

"I left here flattered, thinking my little brother had been moping all summer on my behalf. You know, big brother going off to college, little brother feeling left behind…" Emmett said with mock seriousness, before sighing dramatically."Should have known you were moping over a girl."

"Moping? I haven't been 'moping'." _He hadn't. Had he?_

"You have absolutely been moping. You want me to get Alice in here for a second opinion?" his brother suggested. "That's actually not a bad idea. She can bring out the yearbooks. I'm running out of names here. I mean-…"

"Shhh... hold on…did you hear that?" Edward interrupted, tilting his head to the side, signaling for Emmett to be quiet.

"Huh?" his brother glanced around, raising a brow as he fumbles for the remote to pause the movie. "Hear what?"

"The front door, I thought I heard it open, or slam shut...Could be mom and dad finally returning with the pizzas…I'm ready to kill for some food right about now. Hell, I'd even eat mom's burnt, charcoal-looking lasagna…"

"No you wouldn't. Trust me, it's inedible. I've already sampled it and-… Hey, wait! Don't think I don't know what you're doing," Emmett exclaimed, pointing at Edward accusingly. "You're just trying to distract me with talk about food! It's not gonna work!"

"Emmett," Edward groaned. "What is it that you want from me?"

"Isn't it obvious what I want? Details. You're obviously feeling blue over a relationship gone sour and I want details. You better start talking, or I'll have to go ahead and involve Alice in all this. She knows practically every girl at school and their sisters too…. and probably most of the rez girls as well..."

"What details though? Because I'm not telling you her name or stats, or what she looks like… and don't even ask about the sex."

"Whatever you're comfortable with," Emmett shrugged. "How about you tell me how long the two of you were sneaking around for? There is also the key question of who came on to whom first?"

"I'm not gonna tell you that."Edward covered his eyes with a hand, shaking his head.

"Alright, start with why you called it off then? I mean, you said it got messy. I take that to mean that feelings got involved... Did she get clingy?"

"It wasn't like that. I made it clear to her from the very beginning that I wasn't interested in anything serious, that I don't date and don't do relationships. And this girl … well, she isn't the overly emotional, girly type… so we were on the same page there, that was never the issue."

"Are you sure about that?" Emmett asked. "Girls are notorious for saying they don't want a relationship, yet they'll only sleep with you if you promise them exclusivity… And there really isn't that big of a difference between being exclusive and being in a relationship, so…"

"Not all girls are alike though. And no two situations are ever the same-…"

"They'll say they are cool with casual, but really… they rarely are…." Emmett continued on like he hadn't heard him. "Being someone's dirty secret is fun for a while, but…. Over time that girl's patience is gonna wear thin and she'll throw a fit because you haven't automatically upgraded her to a title she initially said she didn't want."

"Thanks for the analysis, but that's not what happened in this case."

"If you say so…"

"I mean it. It really was a no-strings-attached kind of deal and there were no feelings or expectations involved. It was just a hook up that lasted longer than the norm before it fizzled out."

"How long?"

"Doesn't matter," Edward shook his head with a sigh.

"Come on, tell me!"

"Fine… " His next words came out in a fast, barely intelligible string. "Seven months, two days and three hours… give or take…."

"Wow." Emmett whistled for effect and thought about it for a minute. "That's a very long hook-up by your standards, Eddie."

"Whatever. It meant nothing. There was nothing special about her, that I couldn't have found elsewhere," he forced out through clenched teeth.

"I find that hard to believe. You didn't keep her around for seven months for nothing. There must have been something in it for you… frequent and satisfying sex at the very least...and that's not 'nothing'."

"I'm not going to dignify that with an answer."

"You don't have to. Like I said, you didn't keep her around for seven months if you didn't get something out of it." Emmett was wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Edward groaned, throwing his head back, "Can we please talk about something other than my sex life?"

"Sure thing, moving on…You said it fizzled out? How did it fizzle out? I mean, you just said she did not go full on jealous, crazy, psycho clinger on you, so what was it then? You just woke up one morning and decided you didn't find her attractive anymore and so you dumped her…."

"Yeah sure, that sounds like something I would do…" Edward rolled his eyes. "We simply weren't clicking anymore. I don't see how this is any of your business."

"What was the final straw? What did she do?" pressed Emmett, looking way too amused by this. "Did she start farting in your presence? Or stop shaving her legs? Or… gasp…did she show up at your door makeup free one evening?"

"Because again, that sounds like something I would do…. For the record, I'm pretty sure I'm allowed to break things off with a girl for any reason I see fitting, even super shallow ones. Not saying that's what happened though. I don't' even see why we're discussing this in the first place. It's not like I'm interested in trying to win her back or anything. Besides, it wasn't a relationship, so I wouldn't even call it a breakup."

"Sorry, but a hook up that lasts for more than seven months is a relationship, no matter how much you don't want it to be," Emmett said in a surprisingly serious tone of voice. "I'll be the first to admit that relationships can be terrifying. You put your cards on the table, you make yourself vulnerable when you ask another person to take in all the things that make you 'you'…flaws and all… Obviously, no two couples are the same, but-.."

Edward tried counting to ten in his head, but only made it to three. " No buts," he snapped, feeling the irritation getting the best of him. "She wasn't my girlfriend and we most definitely weren't sitting around discussing our feelings when we got together. We were busy doing other things... things that didn't involve much talking."

"Getting awfully worked up for a guy who claims he doesn't care about anything or anyone but himself."

"Alright, listen up you nosy dimwit! Because this is the last thing I'm going to say on this subject. First of all, the reason why I don't do relationships is because I know I'd never be able to give what it takes to make it a successful one. I know my limitations. That being said though, I never said this girl isn't likeable, or witty, or attractive…on the contrary, she is all of those things, I'll give her that. I'm sure she'll make someone a good girlfriend someday. I'm not the only one with issues though. She has quite a lot of shit of her own to work through. I don't want to get into details about it, obviously. At the risk of sounding like an ass, we were both a bit messed up getting into it and we still were months later. Two wrongs can never make a right, because two wrongs can never equal each other."

"Okay, but then-…" Emmett tried but failed to get a word in.

"Not saying she isn't a true gem among all the fakes and phones at school though," Edward continued in a sudden explosion of words, not able to stop himself once he'd started. "She's different. I don't know what it is…. It's like she's an exotic bird from a far-away place, or something. Beautiful to look at, but with beaks and claws that could shred you to pieces."

"Sounds violent, eh? Sometimes different is good though… Sometimes different is exactly what you need."

"Just give up already," Edward sighed, giving his brother the middle finger. "Different can be good, sure, but we're talking different in a very dark, cynical sort of way… I know, I'm not what you could call a bundle of fun to be around, but this girl blew me out of the water in that aspect. She's was hella moody from day one and it just went downhill from there … Unstable is the word that springs to mind. I know everyone has ups and downs, but eventually the downs just kind of took over with her. You asked why I ended things with her and there you have it. No one wants to be with someone that doesn't take care of themselves. I'm not talking appearance wise, because she's still as attractive as ever and I could spend hours looking at her, but-…" he trailed off, realizing he'd revealed more than he'd intended to.

"But what?" Emmett asked, intrigued no doubt. "I'm lost. She's not taking care of herself HOW exactly? What are we talking about here? Is she one of those pro ana, skeleton-girls? Or is it the opposite? Does she binge eat? Or cut herself? Or, I don't know… does she do drugs? Is she a junkie, Edward?"

"All of it, none of it… I've already said more than I should have." Edward shook his head. "Let's just say she's a complicated person who has a lot of unresolved issues from her past in her baggage. Basically, I didn't want to be her parent, or her fucking stand-in therapist. I just wanted to have sex and chill out… nothing more, nothing less. It just got to a point where even the smallest and stupidest thing would get her to flip out on me. Either that, or she would shut down entirely and spend several days in a foul mood, where she wouldn't even talk to me… So obviously, I ended it…"

"Dude, this is some heavy shit. Is she like a danger to herself? Have you told anyone? Her parents, her friends?…Or someone at school, I mean that's what the nurse, is for, right?… Wait, maybe mom can help-… What?" he asked when he saw Edward's weird-edout look. "You don't want mom to know?"

"Gee, what do you think, Em?! I don't want anyone to know."

"Fair enough… Wait a minute! OH MY GOD! I know WHO it is-… "

"No, no, NO…. You may THINK you do, but really you don't know shit!" Edward felt cold sweat break out on the back of his neck as his mind raced, playing back what he'd said about the girl.

"Come on, Edward. I may be a bit slow on the uptake, but I'm not a complete idiot! Someone with a complicated past, someone short, petite, and dark haired – that's how dad described her. An 'exotic bird', meaning she isn't from around here… I think we've had a grand total of three new students at Forks high during my stint there and only one of them was a girl; a dark haired and slightly different one, at that."

"Em," Edward said, low and harsh. "Not a word! Not a fucking word to anyone, you hear me! Not even Rosalie, especially not Rosalie, because she will tell Al and then hell will break loose."

The words had barely rolled off his tongue before a throat was cleared rather loudly. As if summoned, the Ice Queen herself materialized in the doorway.

"Why hello there, Eddie, did I hear you mention my name?" Rosalie asked, innocently.

"Err… no." His brain and tongue didn't' seem to want to cooperate. "Stop being so freaking nosy all of the time," he finally managed to get out, setting his face in what he hoped was a bored expression

"Hi Rosie, didn't see you there," Emmett said sitting up and smiling widely. "As a matter of fact we may have mentioned your name, but only in passing. You see, I was teasing Eddie here about his secret hook-up from last night. And what you heard was him telling me that he under no circumstances wants me to share this information with anyone - especially not you-…"

"Secret hook-up? Don't you mean hook-ups?!" Rosalie snorted. "Like I don't already know both Tanya and Jess where all over you last night, " she shook her head with a disgusted look on her face. "Guess someone's not so picky when higher than a kite and hornier than a 4-balled tomcat, eh? I have to say though, I'm surprised all vital parts of your male anatomy were actually cooperating, given how strung out you looked, the last time I saw you-…"

"What the actual FUCK-.. "Edward started to protest, but then realized his brother had actually just done him a huge favor by distracting Rose like this. "Nothing wrong with my male parts," he muttered, changing his tune a bit. "Unlike my brother, I can handle my alcohol, thank you very much… I just wish people would mind their own f-ing business…"

Rose had already turned her back at him, zooming in on his brother instead. "Come help me set the table, Em," she pleaded, taking his hand in hers. "Your parents called Alice, they'll be here in a few minutes."

"Go get started. I'm just gonna wrap this conversation up real quick. I'll be with you in a sec."

"That's such a cop-out excuse. You two have been vegging in here for at least an hour now. What could you possibly have left to talk about?"

"Nothing and everything," Emmett responded with tight-lipped smile. "How about this, if you give us a second, I can take Ed with me and go fetch our bags. We'll put them in the car. That way me and Ed can finish our little chat AND you and I can be ready to leave straight after dinner… That's a win-win right there."

"Yeah, okay…"

"Don't sound so dubious… I'm a highly evolved male specimen, fully capable of walking, talking AND carrying bags at the same time. "

"Right, you're such a catch." She snorted, but then leaned in and kissed his cheek, before turning around to march out of the room.

"The biggest catch around here, that's for sure," Emmett called out after her.

Turning to look at Edward, he raised an eyebrow expectantly "What are you waiting for. Get moving, you're coming with me."


	34. Chapter 34

**An: More of Edward and Emmett….**

 **.**

 **-=[ Isabella Swan, the past]=-**

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Edward pov

34.

..

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Frustrated, Edward leaned with his shoulder against the door to his brother's living quarters. "I thought your bags were packed already?"

"They are… mostly. See!" Emmett dropped his duffel bag in the center of his bed, then scooped big load of clothes off the floor and dropped them next to the bag. "My clothes are all here, in this neat little pile. I just need to move my pile into the bag and zip it up."

He worked in a random manner, throwing items left and right, some of them missing the intended target, ending up on the floor again.

"This will take five minutes tops," he promised. "Oh and also, I need to grab all and every toiletries I can find. The way this month is shaping up, I won't have any money for stuff like shampoo." He dropped what he had in his hands and darted towards the bathroom.

"I just don't see why I have to be here and hold your hand for this," Edward complained, rubbing his face wearily. "Was there any particular reason why you've dragged me down here, cuz I'm all talked out and no money in the world could get me to touch your dirty laundry, so…"

"All talked out? We've barely scratched the surface…." Emmett responded, his head popping back into the room. "I mean, Rose almost made it sound like you had a ménage à trios' with T and J… What's up with that? "

"Nothing of the sort happened and you know it."

"Well, something happened. The last I saw of you was around midnight, you had your hands full with Tanya-… and then this morning you told me you woke up with Stanley in your bed. Come one, throw me a bone here. I live vicariously through your drunken escapades."

"No sex was had with either one of them, okay…and not for lack of trying. Between the two of them, they were definitely bringing their A-game, trying to rile me up, or whatever…. But like I said, nothing really happened."

"Oooh, so Rosie was right then," Emmet said with a teasing smile. "I'm proud of you, little brother. Not many guys would admit to having erectile problem…" He turned his back again, disappeared out of sight.

"Ha—f*cking—ha, you think you're so funny," Edward shouted after him.

"Haven't you heard? I'm the comedian of the family," his brother yelled back from the bathroom. "But seriously, you were too drunk to enjoy any of it? Is that what you're saying?"

"Something like that," Edward admitted vaguely. "As exciting as the prospect of having not one, but two, willing and eager females in your bedroom may sound, it simply wasn't a good night for it. For me to enjoy something like that, I would need to be fully awake or at least conscious enough to form full sentences, but hey that's just me."

"Whaat?! They were both in your bedroom? At the same time? Willing and eager?" Emmett exclaimed, still out of sight. By the sound of things, he was rummaging through every drawer and cabinet he came across in the other room. "How can two naked girls not be exciting enough to keep you awake? Are you sure you weren't roofied after all?"

"I'm… Wait, who said they were naked?"

"You did. You said you woke up finding a naked Jessica Stanley in your bed. I'm seriously beginning to question your sexual orientation here…. Then again, I suppose waking up with Stanley's floppy tits in your face is enough to scare any straight man gay…"

"They are not floppy, just a bit wonky, you know lopsided, but whatever… I don't remember seeing her getting undressed so I think I must have passed out by that point."

"I still can't get over that you allowed those two over the threshold of your bedroom to begin with… Stanley slept in your bed…. Naked! I'm surprised you haven't burned the sheets and scorch the mattress already."

"True… Let's just say my bed is now steam cleaned and very well covered by triple mattress covers… and yes, those sheets are history. I took care of that, before we went out to see James. Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking. I probably wasn't thinking at all, that's the problem. I'll don't bring my… you know 'randoms' into my bedroom… EVER…."

"Oooh, don't let Tanya catch you lumping her together with Jess."

"You know what; I dated T for like a millisecond, but even back then, when we were an item, or whatever you want to call it, I never let her spend the night at my place… not even once. That's pretty telling…"

"Telling… yes. Interesting that you would say that though, Edward," Emmett commented, as he reentered the room with his toilet bag in one hand and two rolls of toilet paper in the other.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"It's just… I mean, have you even once stopped to think what this all say about you and Swan? According to dad you had Bella keeping you company many o' nights last spring."

"So what?"

"You just said you've made a point out of never bringing your random hook-ups to your bed. Yet, you kept bending that rule for Bella. That makes it look like you actually ca-…"

"No, wait! Hold up… Her father is the freaking chief of police," Edward interrupted. "He carries a gun. What do you think would have happened if he ever caught me sneaking in, or out, of his daughter's bedroom?"

"So….? I mean, what's wrong with the backseat of your car? You keep those condoms in the glove box for a reason, don't you?"

"Why can't you just mind —…"

"No, let me say this," Emmett insisted when Edward wanted to interrupt. "Personally, I've loved Swan from day one. She's hilarious… and snarky… AND ten times classier than Denali. I can see why you'd be drawn to her. I do understand that part of it all."

"Gee, thanks for the stamp of approval, that I didn't ask for and don't need."

"I would have never, for the life of me, believed that the Swanster would go for someone like you though. Or that she would keep coming back to you for seven months… No offence, but you're hardly someone to hold tight when life sucks. She's a smart girl, surely she had you figured out in no time …"

Edward kept his voice light when he said, "Obviously, I've got skills you couldn't even begin to comprehend."

"I know you're popular with the ladies, but I also know you're paranoid as fuck about personal space and boundaries and germs. You don't swap body fluids with girls left and right, just for the fun of it… Oh, this reminds me -You still haven't explained how you and Swan went from barely tolerating each other, to jumping each other's bones night after night."

"Ha, not gonna fall for that one," Edward snorted. "I'm gonna head upstairs now... See'ya!."

"I can't stop you from cowardly ducking out of this conversation, but before you go, answer me this; when was the last time mom burned a whole batch of lasagna?"

"What?" Edward asked, genuinely perplexed.

"You think you're oh- so-smart, but I seem to have picked up a thing or two that you've missed."

"Okay," Edward sighed. "Please, enlighten me, what does mom's lasagna have to do with anything?"

"I don't think she has burned anything this bad since that one time she had to call the fire department because of a pot that boiled dry and filled the kitchen with smoke. However, that was something like ten years ago, when the whole family, mom included, was down with the flu. She's not a star chef by any means, but she rarely ruins a dish beyond salvage. So why now? Why today?"

"Because she's upset? She said so herself. Is that so strange? You know a lot of people find reports of abandoned babies upsetting…."

"Well, that's true...I'm pretty sure there is more to it than that though. I happen to know that mom's burnt lasagna and her sudden urge for pizza was just an excuse for her and dad to head into town. Something's up and I have a pretty good idea what that is."

"Alright, are you gonna tell me or not?"

"They didn't just head into town to get Pizzas. They went to fetch our dark little Cygnet."

"Our what?"

"Izzabella - the awkward duckling-come-troubled-swan!" Emmett sing-songed, as he dumped a whole bunch of smelly sock into his duffel bag and then proceed to zip it all the way shut. "Try and keep up, Eddie."

"I do still have a headache, you know." Edward frowned. "So this is your backward way of trying to give me the heads up that Swan is on her way over here? Thanks, but it's not like we can't be around each other or anything like that. She WAS at the party last night… and we were both present for Jasper's birthday outing the other week…We can be civil for an hour or two, if we have to. Eating dinner together won't be a problem. As long as we don't talk, we're good…"

"That's splendid. Don't think she'll be having dinner with us tonight though…"

"But you just said-…"

"She'll be here, mom and dad won't return without her. I'm sure of it. However, I don't expect to see her at the table eating with us."

"And why is that?"

"Well… let's see…It all started when mom asked Alice to invite Bella over to spend the night here. Swan declined the invitation, of course. I don't blame her for not feeling like socializing with anyone today. She's probably still coming down from whatever high she was on last night."

"Yeah, but-…" Edward tried to interrupt, but his brother wouldn't let him.

"Now, Bella is a smart cookie, right?" he continued. "Rather than coming clean about being exhausted from partying a bit too hard, she decided to go with food poisoning as the official excuse for feeling a bit blah. Food poisoning is not a bad cover-up. It did the trick; mom bought it hook, line and sinker, at least initially. But then, of course, dad had to go and get himself involved… "

"Oh, boy..." Edward groaned.

"Yeah, exactly .You know how dad is. He's not going to let a seventeen year old, that's been vomiting for more than 12 hours straight, spend the night alone without supervision."

"Eh, where is Charlie though? And 12 hours straight, why would she say that? Exaggerating doesn't exactly make it sound more believable. "

"Depends on how good of an actor she is though, doesn't it? As for Chief Swan… I'd say he is kind of tied up at work at the moment. How could you have missed that?!"

"My bad, of course he is. So Swan bit herself in the butt with that stomach bug thing and now dad went over there to check on her?."

"Oi, a fake stomach bug that bit her in the butt," Emmett laughed. "Say that ten times fast."

"I think I'll pass…"

"So anyway, mom told dad and things got weird. Next thing you know, food was supposedly burned and off to town those two went…Bet you a million bucks, they'll tell Bella they just happened to be in the neighborhood when they show up on her doorstep."

"Okay, but if they suspect she's faking it, then why make such a big deal out of it? I mean, Swan's hardly the first teenager inventing a phony stomach bug to get away with a hangover. Sure, they are parents, but they are not HER parents… and it's not like she committed a crime or anything… "

"Dad cannot NOT act on this. I mean, let's think like dad here for a moment… The police chief's daughter allegedly got sick while spending the night partying at our house. Of course the good Dr. is going to want to go see her and check on her in person. It could be food poisoning, sure, but given the symptoms, it could be numerous of other things as well. Actually, if it's not food poisoning, or a stomach bug, then I predict he will suspect one of two things."

"Now you've lost me…"

"Pills went missing from his bathroom cabinet. I heard from Al that it was mom's allergy medicine - her Benadryl. Apparently, you can get one heck of a trip on those suckers mixed with alcohol. And by trip, I mean funny-scary hallucinations. You know what's not fun? Coming down from something like that..."

"That's ridiculous. Swan doesn't need to steel some stupid allergy pills. If it's a psychedelic experience of the scary kind she's after, then she has far better stuff in her own bedroom drawer. Heck, she knows I have better stuff in MY drawer and-…" He halted mid-sentence. "Ooh!..."

"Oh, what?"

"I just remembered something…. about last night. She was in my room….I came up the stairs with Tanya and Stanley in tow, I opened the door and stepped inside… and Bella was already there…on my freaking bed."

"Say what?" Emmett blinked. "First you told me you woke up next to Stanley, which, you know, questionable choice of bed companion, but whatever floats your boat. Then, you went on telling me about how you were getting frisky with Tanya in the kitchen…which I already knew about, because I witnessed it with my own eyes…And now… Now you're telling me you had all three of them - Tanya, Jess AND Bella- in your bedroom at the same time! Are you sure you're not the one taking those pills? Because this sounds like one very trippy hallucination, if you ask me!"

Edward chose not to answer that. Instead, he asked rather abruptly, "What was the other thing?"

"What other thing?"

"You said, given the symptoms, dad would suspect one of two things. I know she didn't take those allergy pills, so what's the other thing?"

"Well, when you saw Swan this morning, how did she look?" He didn't wait for Edward to answer, before continuing, "Pale, lethargic, drained, thoroughly exhausted? Shouldn't that be symptoms to be on the lookout for given resent development? After all, there is a nameless, faceless woman out there somewhere, that could possibly be suffering from post-partum-trauma, acute blood loss and sepsis-…"

"Wha-?!" Edward felt his world tilt on its axis for a terrifying moment. Then it righted itself again, but his chest remained tight and the blood kept pounding in his ears. He wanted to hit something, so he did just that. "Stop saying shit like that! That's seriously NOT funny!" he snapped, reaching out to punch his brother's shoulder.

"It's no joking matter. I know that. I'm not joking. Rose gave me a play-by-play recap of the press conference. Whoever she is, the woman that gave birth to those babies out there in the woods, she could be in dire need of medical attention right about now. Honestly, if dad even for a second suspects that it could be Bella, then I completely understand why he felt he had to drop everything to go check on her straight away - to rule it out, if nothing else. Apparently, you can die from sepsis. That's severe blood poisoning, by the way."

"I know what it is and I know Swan doesn't have it, so stop saying things like that! Bella definitely didn't give birth to any babies last night, end of story!"

"Sorry." Emmett apologized, without looking too apologetic. "I didn't say I believed it myself. I said I think that it might be something dad is considering, that's all…"

"This is just stupid though. You saw her last night; did she look pregnant to you in any way shape or form? I hate to break it to you, but babies don't come with the stork, or materialize out of thin air…If there is no big, pregnant belly, there can be no babies… "

"I don't know, man," Emmett said looking somber and laying a hand on his brother's arm. "I'm no expert, but if those babies were as premature and tiny as they say they were, doesn't that mean the girl's belly wouldn't necessary have gotten all that big yet? Honestly, if you ask me, I'd say Swan has definitely filled out quite a bit since last spring. Not in a bad way, she looks lovely, but definitely curvier than I've ever seen her before. I mean, she's still petit, but…" he trailed off, making a big chest gesture with his hands.

"Did you forget she injured her leg before the summer? Try wearing a full, toe-to-thigh cast for like two months and not gain any weight. And what the f*ck are you doing, checking out her curves?! You already got a girlfriend."

"I'm in a relationship, not blind," Emmett said with a shrug. He tried to keep a straight face, but then he burst out laughing. "Relax bro, I'm just yanking your chain. You should have seen your face though. You looked like you were about to faint for a while there. I feel so honored I was here to witness your very first pregnancy scare, even if it was just a ten seconds long internal freak-out."

As he spoke he went around the bed and got Rosalie's pink suitcase and matching cosmetic bag from where they were lined up against the wall.

"Come on now, grab that one and let's roll," he said, pointing Edward towards the duffel bag he'd just zipped up, before steering towards the door.

.

…

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	35. Chapter 35

AN:/ What do you know… Emmett isn't done prodding yet…..

Chapter 35.

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 **-=[ Isabella Swan, the past]=-**

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Edward's pov

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"How did Bella get into your bedroom anyway?" Emmett asked as he flipped the light off and followed Edward out of the door. "She has her own key? That's a pretty big relationship milestone, right there, if you ask me. Usually you guard your room like it's the Gates of Heaven itself. "

"Come on, she does NOT have her own key. I would never do that," Edward said, rolling his eyes like it was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard.

Truth be told, there had been a time, not that long ago, when he used to hide a key on his balcony for Bella to use. No point in bringing that up now though… those days were long gone.

"I don't know how she got in. There is a big chunk of last night that is still a blur to me," he added with a shrug.

"Okay, I've got a theory though. Bella knows her way around this house, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So, it's entirely possible she knows where mom keeps all the emergency key tags."

"She'd still have to deactivate the alarm after entering. Not even mom knows the correct combination..."

"You're telling me Swan's never watched you enter those numbers into the keypad? Not even once?"

"Okay, you got me there… " He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "I should change it ASAP. I mean, I usually do, like religiously, every three months… Can't believe I forgot about it…"

"I guess this explains how Bella got her hands on your clothes, eh?"

"Nah, actually she didn't get those from my room. It was the same clothes I had worn when I went jogging earlier in the day. I'd left them hanging outside on the balcony railing, to air them out, you know. Technically, anyone could have nicked those. Wait-…I just remembered something else about last night."

"What's thay?"

"Uhm…." Edward let himself slide down to sit on the stairs, dragging his brother down with him.

"That bad, huh?"Emmett commented.

"Not bad, but…. I think there's a possibility Bella's been telling the truth about feeling genuinely sick-sick and that it's more than just a regular hangover."

"Why do you think that? Because you remember seeing her puking or something? I saw Rosie puke this morning and let me tell you… she did not have food poisoning."

"No… It's just that Bella herself actually tried to tell me she wasn't feeling well. I didn't take anything coming from her all that serious though. I thought she was just… I don't know drunk, or high, or something… But come to think of it, it was pretty early in the evening, " Edward tugged at his hair in exasperation. "She was pale and her face looked kind of… shiny, like she was sweating a lot… she definitely didn't look well."

"Okay, but was this before, or after she saw you with Jess and Tanya? Did you spring that on her without warning, because that's not a sight for the weak of heart or stomach," Emmett tried to joke, but it fell flat when Edward merely shook his head in response.

"She told me she wasn't feeling well and I responded with something like 'do I look like I care?'. I 'm pretty sure I told her she wasn't my responsibility and that she should go find Alice instead."

"Okay, then what?"

"Bella went on informing me she already knew where Alice was, because she'd just walked in on her..ehm..with her hands down Jasper's pants."

"Flippin eck, pass the brain bleach. Now, why did you have to go and tell me that for?!" Emmett groaned. "That's one image, I didn't need in my head, but please do continue. What did you do next?"

"I told Bella to go away and stop bothering me. She told me I was the one bothering her and not the other way around …" Edward paused to try and collect his thoughts. "She told me she'd been minding her own business until I came along. I reminded her I had just found her passed out on the floor outside mom's study-… "

"WHAT? You found her passed out on the floor and you were giving her a hard time? What the fuck Edward!"

"She wasn't passed out, not really… but yeah, I obviously wasn't thinking clearly. Not my finest moment, alright," he stated quietly, as scattered fragments of the conversation continued to wash over him. "She told me she had gone upstairs to lay down for a bit, but couldn't find a room that was unlocked and not already occupied. I may have responded with something like 'not my problem', before telling her I didn't care what she did or where she went, as long as she got out of my sight." 

"Right... Eddie, you're so eloquent when drunk."

"I-..uhm… I may also have told her to go fuck herself, and to take that fucking imbecile boyfriend of hers with her…. I guess this was after the rez kids showed up uninvited."

"Ah, so you were overcome with jealousy," his brother teased him.

"That's not why I said it, but whatever… She just stared at me for like a full minute and then said she said she wished things could have been different… and uhm…that that she wished she could have been different. She said she hated the person she'd become, she hated being an empty soul in an even emptier shell…and more weird stuff like that. She went on about how she'd come to think that she would never get over her issues with closeness, intimacy and trust, but then she'd met someone that had made her want to change and be a better person… Obviously, that was my cue to leave. I didn't want to hear her gush about her precious Jake and how perfect she thought he was for her."

"Eddie, Eddie, are you listening to yourself? I thought you said the two of you never talked about emotions," Emmett was shaking his head. "That definitely sounds like she was unburdening her heart to you and what did you do? You turned around and walked away… And for the record, are you sure she was talking about Black? Because it almost sounds like-… "

"Nothing ," Edward cut in. "It sounds like nothing. You're reading too much into this. Her incoherent rant didn't make sense. Trust me, she was clearly strung out on something..." 

"I dunno, man. You'll hear the truth from children and drunks. ...isn't that the saying? But moving on, what happened next? I assume the next time you saw her, was when you walked in and found her in your room?"

"Uhm…yeah. I don't know how much time passed… but err…it was maybe an hour or so later. I came up the stairs with J and T and as we stumbled into the room, I spotted Swan there, on the bed, with her eyes closed. She wasn't sleeping though, because next thing I knew, she'd rolled off the bed and bolted into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her-…"

"Oooh, she didn't want to join in on the action then, I take it?"

"I've already told you, there wasn't much action going on in the first place, but whatever… I was kind of busy concentrating on stuff like breathing, stopping the room from spinning and simply staying awake."

"So, Swan locked herself into your bathroom…presumably to throw up. Though, you have no way of knowing for sure what she really did while she was in there, or how long she stayed. She could have stayed long enough to pop some pills and smoke a fat one, for all we know."

"I don't think she stayed THAT long. I was still semi awake, when she left… I definitely remember seeing her leave. I just don't know if she said anything on her way out, or what state she was in. If she'd been throwing up recently, then maybe she felt like she was in need of a fresh change of clothes and that's why she nicked my stuff off the railing on her way down... I mean, I could be wrong, but that's my theory anyway."

"Speaking of theories… I still think she went to your room to wait for you, hoping to get a chance to finish that convo you fled from," Emmett said, and then muttered something else under his breath.

"What was that?" Edward asked sharply.

"Nothing… just-.. No, never mind." He shook his head. "You know what Edward, no wonder Swan spent so much time talking her bff Jake up to us. She must have figured out early on that you really, REALLY detested the guy. It all makes sense now… she was trying to make you jealous, trying to get you to admit you were feeling something. Anything!"

"You can't make someone jealous if they don't give a fuck."

"Yeah, but you do give fuck. You're obviously still in denial, but whatever… If you can't figure it out yourself, nothing I say will make sense. " Emmett patted his brother's knee."Come on, get up. Dinner's waiting. I, for one, prefer my pizza warm."

Edward was rolling his eyes so hard he could practically see the back of his skull. "I mean it. I don't care who she's with. Obviously, I think she can do better than some fifteen year old loser that doesn't know first thing about how to treat a girl. However, if that's who she sees herself with, then that's her problem."

"Like I said, denial," Emmett repeated teasingly.

"She's not for me. I've made my choice and she's made hers."

"Sure, Eddie. Whatever you say."

.

…

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	36. Chapter 36

AN:/ Bella's in the house.

Chapter 36.

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 **-=[ Isabella Swan, the past]=-**

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Edward's pov

.

Contrary to what Edward had told his brother, he wasn't particularly looking forward to having Bella in close proximity again.

If he had felt sucker-punched when he'd first seen her that morning, it was nothing compared to the kick to the gut he got as he caught a brief glimpse of her as she was whisked through the front door and into the kitchen.

He told himself it was nothing though… Just his guilty conscience making itself known. He recognized that he'd been an immature ass to her the night before. Okay, if he was honest with himself, his brother's words still kind of nagged at the back of his mind. Obviously, there was no truth to them. Pfft, like he would care about anyone other than himself. He did not— repeat, did not—do relationships and feelings.

He could feel both Emmett and Rosalie side-eyeing him at the moment, but he made sure to keep his facial expression blank, his cool intact, and his mouth shut. Try as he might, however, he couldn't quite keep his eyes from darting back to the open doorway.

The conversation in the kitchen, from what he could overhear of it without being too conspicuous, seemed to revolve around fluids. His dad was urging Bella to drink some sort of rehydration mixture to replace fluids and minerals lost from being sick. Carlisle could be heard half threatening to take Bella to the ER, if she didn't comply. Bella didn't argue with him, but her hand trembled so badly she could hardly hold the glass without spilling the liquid it all over the floor. And when she finally managed to put the glass to her lips, her sips were so small that she barely swallowed anything at all. So emptying the glass was going to be a slow affair.

In the meanwhile, his mom was fluttering about, getting one of the downstairs guest rooms ready for Bella to use. Usually, whenever Swan stayed over, she would sleep in a room across the hall from Alice's bedroom - not counting the many nights she'd spent in Edward's room, of course. However, his mother argued it made sense to isolate Bella on a separate floor from the rest of the family. She wanted Bella to get a full night of uninterrupted sleep, but she also said it was a preventative measure to keep any potential germs contained to one limited space, should it turn out this wasn't a case of food poisoning, after all.

Edward didn't want to think about germs and germ exposure right now. He wasn't going to touch anything that could get him sick…. He wasn't going to speak to Swan, or go anywhere near her. And forget about eating, there would be no Pizza for him tonight, he decided shoving his hands firmly into the pockets of his jeans.

Once again, Edward's eyes darted towards the kitchen. From what he could tell, Bella definitely looked worse now than she had done last time he'd seen her. Her skin was, if possible even paler and her eyes seemed hazed over like she couldn't quite focus on anything around her.

The only visible improvement he could detect was that she seemed to have showered – the matted, tangled mess of hair he remembered from that morning, had been washed, combed, and braided.

The tremors were new though. She attempted to hide her shaking hands by making sweater paws, but Edward still saw them. In fact, the oversized sweater she wore, only served to make her appear smaller and more fragile than she really was.

WTF, she was no smaller today than she'd been a day or two ago… that was just ridiculous. Again, Edward cursed his brother for putting strange ideas in his head.

There were only two reasonable explanations here and neither were his fault. Bella had either contracted some kid of nasty stomach bug, or some sort of substance abuse had to be involved. And even if it would turn out to be the later, it wasn't his problem. SHE wasn't his problem. All he'd ever done was to smoke some weed with her … Well, that AND having loads of sex with her…

Before his thoughts went any further, Alice elbowed him in the ribs, saying something about how it was rude to stare.

He quickly adverted his eyes, but not before catching his brother's knowing look.

Edward was saved from having to come up with a sharp response though when their mother called on their attention. She insisted she needed their help with something , but it quickly became apparent that she was just making up excuses to get them out of the way for a bit.

Well, he supposed it made sense if Swan didn't want them around to witness this epic meltdown. She certainly didn't like being the center of everybody's attention like this. In fact, he knew she truly hated being fussed over, in any way, shape or form.

.

…

.

Knowing Swan (and her potentially nasty germs) was just a stone's throw away, made for a long, drawn out dinner. Since Edward wasn't planning on eating anything anyway, he argued he should be excused from the table (he cited headache as his excuse), but 'nope', his parents would have none of that. He wasn't even lying about the headache bit, but they were being unreasonable… or, well… he had a pretty good idea what their reasons were.

Whenever they would insist on his attendance for dinner, it usually meant they had some sort of announcement to make and/or that they were planning on holding a family meeting. This particular evening it was both, it seemed.

And, no, his brother didn't manage to get himself excused from said family meeting either. Emmett, being the Momma's boy that he was, couldn't lie to his mother when she was right in front of him. So when asked if he really did have an Sociology assignment he'd forgotten about, he'd cracked under pressure and admitted that while the assignment was real, it wasn't actually due for another week. Ha, and so back into the basement the overnight bags went. There would be no fleeing the scene for Em and Ro. The original plan of staying one more night was quickly reinstated.

.

..

.

The dinner that followed had been a hoot, the family meeting afterwards even more so…

Edward was bored as his parents droned on forever.

So far they'd announced his mother's decision to return to work and their intention to resume their plans to adopt the deaf kid.

Bree-her name was Bree, Edward corrected himself.

Honestly, he had nothing against the girl. She seemed like a smart kid, deserving of a good home. He recognized, of course, that his parents were a good fit for her.

He just found it a bit transparent that they would choose now of all times to welcome another child into their home. With one kid already gone for college and the other two just starting their last year of high school, it sort of came across as though they were going through great lengths to postpone having to deal with an 'empty nest'. For two highly educated, civilized individuals, they seemed terribly afraid of having no one, but each other to talk to.

Given the Bree's disability and tender age (she was eight, going on nine, if memory served him correctly) she would undoubtedly keep his parents busy chauffeuring her around for many years to come.

But hey, if this meant their focus would shift a bit, then he was all for it. He didn't need having them dissecting his life more closely than they already were. If a new sister was what it took to get his parents off his back, then so be it.

Edward was only half-listened to his mom and dad, as they went on and on about the importance of boundaries and limits and having house rules.

Going forward with the adoption process meant a social worker would be making a house visit and BAM!- suddenly there was a whole set of new rules to abide too. The biggest change perhaps was that they were no longer allowed to bring guests into the house without asking permission first.

"This goes or you too, Edward," his father made sure to point out, fixing him with a stern look. "No unauthorized late night visits, am I making myself clear?!"

"Hey, why are you singling me out for, when everybody else does it too?" Edward objected because… well, because he could. "Frankly, I'm sick and tired of seeing this certain blonde dude, climbing up the gutter and through a certain window on the second floor. Just saying-…"

Two things happened at once. Alice made a noise resembling a hiss and kicked Edward in the shin so hard he jumped up from his chair. At the same time there was a loud crash heard, it came from the kitchen, along with colorful cursing.

Jasper… he'd been so quiet they'd almost forgotten he was there, waiting for them in the next room.

Having obviously been warned by Alice to be on his best behavior, Jasper had showed up ahead of time for his little chat (read; safe-sex-lecture slash Spanish Inquisition) with Carlisle.

Not only did he come with flowers in hand, he was also uncharacteristically well-dressed and clean-shaven. Heck, he'd even found a comb somewhere and managed to sort out his long, flowing blonde hair, styling it in a neat, off-the-face man bun. Not a flattering look, but whatever.

Anyway, they'd been mid-dinner when he'd arrived and naturally, he'd immediately been offered to grab a plate and some food and join them at the table. Too nervous to eat anything though, the poor guy had declined the invitation, opting to wait in the living room instead.

Of course, Alice being Alice had immediately seen an opportunity to score some easy points by swiftly volunteering Jasper to keep an eye on the door to Bella's room. Bella had gone to bed little over an hour ago and no one expected to see her up and about again at this point, but it didn't hurt to have someone close by in case she would poke her head out and ask for a glass of water, or something.

Perhaps Jasper had grown bored of waiting and ventured into the kitchen to get himself something to drink. Or maybe he'd simply set out to eavesdrop… either way, his interruption was God-sent, allowing Edward to finally slip away from the table and escape to the safety of his own room.

.

…

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	37. Chapter 37

_**AN:/ I want to heartly thank all my old and new readers for your wonderful reviews.**_

 **.**

 _ **Cue some meddling from Rosalie...**_

 **.**

 **Chapter 37.**

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 **-=[ Isabella Swan, 17 y.o. - the past]=-**

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Edward's pov

…

.

"Hey knucklehead, wait up!" Edward heard behind him, as he navigated his way along the muddy path across the lawn towards his garage apartment.

He turned, acknowledging Rosalie's presence with a curt nod.. "Brainless, what do you want?" he asked impatiently, when she didn't immediately begin talking.

"You don't hate me, do you? I mean, there are no warm fuzzy feelings between us, but we get along most of the time, right? "

"I find you mildly annoying and somewhat irritating, but I don't hate you," he confirmed with a frown. "Not as long as you stay in your lane and don't swerve into mine. What's this about? You've gone and done something you know I won't like, haven't you?"

"No, it's nothing like that. I want to give you a piece of advice, but I want to be sure you won't go and do the opposite, just to spite me. I need you to promise you'll stay clear of someone…Can you do that for me?"

Edward felt his frown morph into a scowl. "Depends on who this someone is and why?" he answered in a tight voice. "Is this about Tanya and last night? I mean, I know you don't care about Jessica, but you and T used to be friends and-…."

"Oh please, like I give a flying duck about either one of those two bitches," she interrupted him. "I didn't come out here to talk about your escapades from last night, but now that you mention it…. How the hell did you survive Tanya's wrath with your male-parts intact? Or more specifically, how the hell did you put forth the idea of inviting Stanley, of all people, to join you guys for an drunken orgy and not end up getting a knee in the groin or your balls twisted into a double knot?" she asked and then she laughed the whole thing was hysterically funny.

"And before you answer, I know you and T got history, so I can see why you'd make a move on her," she continued, not letting him get a word in "Or vice versa, as I know was the case last night….. Tanya was on a prowl for sure. And why not? Sex with an ex can be the perfect way to keep your libido happy and occupied. Also, with an ex, you know what you're getting, so that part I can understand… However, Tanya isn't exactly the sharing type, so to even suggest something like that and with Stanley of all people-…"

"You talk a lot of shit," Edward cut her off. "Get to the point already. You've got 10 seconds before I walk away!"

"Relax, Eddie… I know T didn't actually stick around long enough partake in any naked-fun partying with you and Jess."

"Nine seconds…."

"I was out front smoking with McKenna, I saw the two of them literally drag you up the stairs to your room, as you were in no condition to take tackle those stairs alone without falling on your ass. Nice of them, right? Only, I don't think their intention was to tuck you in and read you a bedtime story... "

"…eight seconds…:"

"Anyway, I saw the three of you disappear into your room and then I saw Tanya leave again, maybe five, ten, minutes later…fuming. She wasn't quite as pleased with herself coming down those stairs as she'd been going up…"

"Seven seconds and ticking… … Why do you even bring this up when you already seem to know what went down…?"

"Because obviously I wasn't gonna let you get away with this without ribbing you mercilessly about it," Rosalie snorted, pulling her jacket closer as the wind gusted around them. The previously heavy rain was now just a light drizzle, and for a few moments, it even miraculously stopped altogether, but still…the dark sky and cold air left a lot to be desired.

"Yeah, yeah… You caught me. My drunken ass spent the entire party trying to hook up with girls left and right. Too drunk to walk upright, but not too drunk to grope anyone within arm's reach. Is that what you wanted to hear? I'd like to point out though, that it was Tanya that jumped my bones and not the other way around."

"Yeah, I figured that much. Em says he saw Tanya corner you in the kitchen. He also says that the next time he checked on you, you two were making out like two horny teenagers that just discovered French kissing."

"She started it. I was simply enjoying myself. So sue me… " Edward shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Were you though? Really? Or were you simply too drunk to fend yourself against her advances? Cuz you don't usually kiss on the mouth, now do you? Not sober anyway… Sounds to me like T was taking advantage of the situation. I know Em thinks someone might have slipped you something-…"

"Don't go stir up shit, you know nothing about!" Edward said in a voice that suggested she better not disagree with him, "And Rose, I find it all kinds of disturbing that you have cataloged my kissing habits. Mind your own F-ing business!"

"You know what I think? I think you were gripping for straws to get T off your back," Rosalie suggested, not letting herself be silenced. "I think Jess was the straw you grabbed onto when Tanya got pushy… It backfired on you though. The hair-pulling bitch fight you were expecting never happened."

Damn! It definitely sounded like something he would do. There was a strong possibility that Rosalie wasn't entirely wrong, he realized with startling clarity. He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of admitting to anything of a sort though. Instead he simply said, "Whatever, Rose…. What-the-fuck-ever…"

Thinking back, Edward clearly remembered Tanya trying to make nice with him, chatting him up, even hitting on him, which came a bit out of nowhere as she had barely spoken three words with him over the last few months. He'd decided to go along with it… because… well, he was drunk and it seemed like a good idea at the time. There was a familiarity to it and he was at ease. Anyway… He remembered making out with her in the kitchen and how got heated real fast. One thing led to another. He'd had a hand up her skirt when she'd suggested they'd take it elsewhere. Sex was implied. Initially, he'd thought it was a splendid idea, because… well, it had been a while since he'd gotten any action. It had seemed like a good opportunity to break that dry spell.

However, somewhere down the line, he'd changed his mind -perhaps because Tanya had been very adamant about taking it elsewhere, and by 'elsewhere' she clearly meant she wanted him to take her to his bedroom…. And that right there was a big no-no as far as Edward was concerned. He didn't invite people to his sleeping quarters. Just because he'd bent that rule a bit this last year with Swan, didn't mean he was gonna start bringing random girls up there for drunken sex….

NO, just no…Even now, many hours later, that though alone still made him feel slightly nauseated. Even his drunken, strung out self, had felt very strongly against going ahead with anything of the sort. So much so, that he'd tried to get out of the whole thing, but of course, Tanya wouldn't take no for an answer.

Edward wished he could remember more. Some things were clearer now than they had been when he'd woken up that morning, but there were still quite a few pieces missing.

He vaguely recalled how they had run into Jess. And perhaps Rose was right. Throwing in the suggestion of a threesome actually did sound exactly like something he would do to get out of a though spot. You play the pawns against each other and then you wait and watch….

Now, Tanya would have normally seen red at such a suggestion…especially considering who the suggested third party was. Having to share the spotlight with anyone was an unheard concept for Tanya and according to the hierarchy rules of Forks High, Jessica Stanley was definitely not someone she would willingly associate herself with.

The whole thing had backfired on him tough. Damn! Another thing Rosalie managed to piece together correctly… No claws had come out, no teeth had been bared and no hair had been pulled….

Instead of seeing red, Tanya must have gone and done the exact opposite of what he'd expected of her, because next thing Edward remembered was being dragged across the lawn by both girls.

Come to think of it, there was something fishy about this whole situation, but he wasn't in the right state of mind at the moment to figure out what it was.

In the meanwhile, Rosalie continued to prattle on with no signs of stopping. Edward sighed, tuning out her voice. He wasn't interested in anything she had to say anyway and besides, his mind was elsewhere.

Lost in his own thoughts, he had no idea how much time passed …a minute, or five? But then, suddenly, a certain name filtered through his mind.

Wait! His head snapped up. "What did you just say?" he interrupted Rosalie.

"What? Don't act all innocent," she frowned at him. "If you were too drunk to see it, then that's your problem, not mine.

"Not that part… You were talking about Swan. Why were you talking about Swan?" he asked brusquely, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

She rolled her eyes. "You know why…"

"No, I don't, enlighten me."

"I saw her," Rosalie said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Apparently, you're into harems and mass orgies now… I know Jess and Tanya weren't the only ones you had in your bedroom last night. I know Bella was there too… Like I said, I was out smoking when I observed Tanya leaving; she was stomping down the stairs with a look of thunder on her face. Then, a little while later, a second girl came down the very same stairs... and it wasn't Jess..."

"It's not my fault girls flock to me like bees to honey," Edward grumbled, in an attempt to deflect any wrongdoing.

"More like flies on shit," Rose snorted. "I heard from Alice that you let Jessica stay the night, which in itself is both cringe-inducing and bleach worthy, but I'm willing to chalk that up as a drunken mistake , never to be brought up again." She pretended to shudder before continuing.

"Anyway, it was Bella. I saw Bella leave and she was clearly upset. I could tell something was off all the way from across the yard. If Tanya made her grand exit by stomping down those stairs, then I'd describe Bella's descent as 'staggering', in fact she was almost lurching, one arm held rigidly around her middle, the other gripping the banister. It looked… odd, unnatural. By the time I'd made my way across the lawn, she had already disappeared in the sea of people milling about out there. I couldn't find her… In fact, I didn't see her again until this morning. However, judging from what I saw this morning, she was clearly not okay and I strongly suspect it was all your doing..."

"Not on purpose… I mean, her being there in the first place came as a complete surprise to me. For some reason she thought it was okay to sneak into my room when she needed a place to crash. I don't think she was feeling well, I agree with you there. Something was off about her, but that doesn't give her the right to invade my personal space-…"

"You kicked her out."

"I didn't kick her out, she left voluntarily. "

"After seeing you with getting cozy with not one, but two other girls. You upset Bella, you stupid buffoon!" she pointed out with quite a bit of attitude. "Yes, I accidentally overheard your conversation with Emmett earlier. So I have a pretty good idea why seeing something like that would make her upset."

"You what?!" he asked, annoyed and a little angry. Though, it shouldn't have come as a surprise. 'Accidentally my ass!' he thought.

"I overheard what you told Emmett about you and Bella. And before you get crossed with me, I just happened to be within earshot. It wasn't something I planned, or could have foreseen. I came to tell you it was time to turn off the movie, because I figured Esme wouldn't appreciate coming home to finding you guys watching a 'slasher movie', given what kind of day we'd all had-…"

"That was a private conversation and you nosy little pervert was eavesdropping, don't deny it!"

"I was like two steps from the doorway when my phone buzzed with an incoming message, so I stopped for a second to check who it was from. Your voices didn't carry at first, but then you muted the TV, or was it Em that did that? Anyway, I didn't particularly enjoy listening to your macho crap, but it was too late to make my presence known. So yeah….I pretty much heard the entire thing. "

"Great, F-ing great!" Edward threw his arms up in agitation. "I've changed my mind, I really do HATE your conniving ass. "

"No, you don't," she told him calmly. "But you might, after you've heard what I have to say about this… You need to leave Bella Swan alone. That's why I followed you out here. That's what I came here to tell you. You need to back off. "

"No, you back off. This doesn't concern you."

"You're right. It doesn't. But I heard what you said about her and I agree with you. Bella is not taking care of herself the way she should. Something is definitely off with her and the kind of stunt you pulled last night- deliberate or not- is not exactly going making things better."

Edward automatically opened his mouth to protest, but closed it quickly, without uttering a sound. He was just too damn tired to fight her on this. It'd be one thing if he didn't agree with her, but he did, in principle at least.

"I mean, whatever this is, whatever it is that's wrong with her; it's been going on for a while, hasn't it?" Rosalie continued. "It's even more apparent to me now. Coming back here after having been gone for a little while has given me a fresh perspective. Anyone can have a few bad days here and there, but... this is more than that. I first saw glimpses of it last spring and then again over the summer... and then last night happened… Something's definitely going on with her..."

Rosalie looked at him expectantly as she fell silent.

"What?" Was there a question in there that he had missed?

She shook her head, like he was hopeless. " You must have seen it too. I'm not just talking about her general mood and attitude towards life. There's been changes in her appearance as well; little things like hair loss, or at least a change in hair quality, dark circles under her eyes, puffy eyes, puffy face … you know things like that. "

"I'm a guy we don't notice-…" he started to protest, but she cut him off. "Even her weight has been fluctuating quite a bit. Now, you must have noticed that, at least?! You know what Edward, just nod if you agree. And if you don't… keep it to yourself," she instructed, before she continued. "I suppose it could be as straight forward as her suffering from a bit of a depression. I mean, I know that she has a prescription for some kind of antidepressants and-…" Rosalie made a rare pause to breathe and Edward capitalized on it.

"Who told you that? Not Bella, surely? You two aren't even THAT close…"

"No, I heard it from Em, who heard it from Jasper, who must have picked it up from Alice."

"Geez, so you're all speculating about Swan behind her back? That's not exactly helping the situation either, now is it?"

"Come on, we all know she lost her mother very unexpectedly and didn't handle it well. People grieve differently and there is no shame in needing some help to deal with something like that."

Edward pondered his options for a second or two, before he decided he might as well set her straight on a few things. "They put her on meds for anxiety and panic attacks. She doesn't take them anymore though, and she hasn't since she first moved here. I'm only telling you this to stop you from running around spreading lies."

"Alright, so maybe she should have stayed on them… or, maybe they were the wrong meds for her," Rosalie shrugged. "Honestly, I'm beginning to think she's making herself ill on purpose. I can't for the life of me figure out why though-…"

"Yet, you're convinced it's somehow my fault… How exactly does that work? Because it still sounds to me like you're stirring up shit and poking your nose into things you know nothing about!"

"I'm not saying it's your fault. I'm saying she's been through a lot and the last thing she needs is more complications in her life. The anniversary of her mom's passing was around springtime, wasn't it? I've never heard an exact date, but…" she trailed off.

Oooh! She was right. Edward felt bad for having not thought of that himself. The first anniversary of Renee's death had probably been extremely difficult for Bella.

Rosalie didn't wait for him to answer. "At first I thought that one-year-mark was the sole reason why she was slipping into a bit of a funk. Or, you know, perhaps that in combination with her injury. Because she ended up injuring her foot around the same time, didn't she? I mean, I'm sure that must have been quite a drag…"

Damn it! She was right…again. Edward realized he hadn't quite thought of it that way… hadn't connected the dots, so to speak.

"I know the cast caused her a lot of pain," he agreed with a slow nod. "And also, I suppose you're right about her still grieving her mother. I mean, there really is no timetable for that sort of thing."

"Right, but both of those things happened months ago. She's had the entire summer to heal and work through the stuff that has been bothering her... but she hasn't worked though anything, has she? Then again, maybe it's not THAT surprising. I mean after hearing about this bullshit treatment you've been giving her-…"

"A lot of bullshit has been thrown around, but it hasn't been one-sided," Edward snapped. "Listen, it was a mistake to get involved with her in the first place. I know that know. I know you don't believe me, but I didn't intentionally set out to hurt her last night... She wasn't supposed to be in my room. Honestly though, considering the way she keeps parading her new boyfriend around, I didn't think it would be a big deal if I hooked up with someone else."

"Who are you talking about? Jake? " Rosalie flipped her blond hair off her face and shock her head at him. "He isn't her boyfriend. Why she keeps him around, I do not know? Maybe, he's like a security blanket or something? She knows she deserves better than that loser... Trust me, she's not stupid."

"Yeah, that's what I thought, but she keeps giving him chances after chances… Personally, I can't stand the guy. He's a bratty, self-absorbed, immature child… but hey, each to their own…"

"Because you're so mature, Eddie?"

He shook his head. "At least I'm not some stupid, horny fifteen year old with no control of myself… but whatever… Why do you even care about any of this in the first place? You don't even like Swan all that much… What's in it for you?"

"I don't love her, that's correct, but I do not NOT like her. It's pretty simple, your sister has obviously found a friend in her and you and I both know she's needs good people around her to keep her grounded. Also, Em thinks she's a-okay and that's enough for me. I mean, he's right about her being at least ten times classier than most of the skanks in town... but she definitely lost some points for lusting after your sorry ass."

"Why? It's a great ass," Edward cut in gruffly.

"This is no joke!."

"No. I know that," he sighed, rubbing his face."I don't know what Swan ever saw in me… Lord knows I wasn't particularly nice to her in the beginning. First time I saw her… she was trying to play 'little miss innocent', but I saw straight through that act and she hated it. I suppose, I ruined her chances of starting over fresh. I don't have an excuse or explanation… other than… I don't know, she just had a snarky, sarcastic edge about her that just drove me insane."

"Snarky is an art form only few of us have mastered."

Edward kicked the ground with his shoe. "Yeah well, as I got to know her better I realized it's a defense mechanism she's developed —it's how she deflects anything from compliments, to personal questions, to angst."

"Okay, speaking of angst….I've got a serious question for you," Rosalie said after a moment of silence. "Could Bella have been saving up on pain killers? You know, from when Crowley ran over her foot with his stupid van? Those weren't regular over-the-counter pills, were they?"

"Honestly, they were pretty lame as far as pain relievers go." Edward shook his head. "Though, now that you mention it, they didn't exactly interact well with some of the… err 'stuff' she normally used to keep her anxiety levels in check-.."

She interrupted him to ask, "By 'stuff' you mean weed?"

"Nothing gets past you, does it?" he rolled his eyes. "Yes, that's what I meant. She did the mistake of popping one of those pills while puffin away on a fat blunt once and had a really, REALLY strong reaction to it."

"Strong reaction, how?"

"First she got completely and utterly stoned. Then she got sick and was in the bathroom for almost an hour throwing up until her stomach was completely empty. And that wasn't even the worst part… the worst part was the panic attack of epic proportions that followed. It wasn't pretty. In fact, after that whole incident she decided to try and cut down on the weed for a while. She's been clean all summer."

"Really?! From what I've heard about last night, it sounds to me like she's back at boozing and mixing weed with stuff it shouldn't be mixed with. Do you have any proof that she actually cut down, or was it just empty talk to get you off her back about it? "

"I know what I know," he shrugged. "She's been clean, or mostly clean, for quite some time now. No meds, no weed, no nothing, save for those pain killers she had to take for her leg...but like you said, that was months ago."

"She was definitely strung out on something last night -…"

"Yes, I know. It seems as though she fell off the wagon for some reason, but that's the first hiccup, or slip up I've heard of. She was doing okay, on that front at least, until last night happened."

"What?" he added, when Rosalie looked at him funnily.

"You've been keeping tabs on her through Alice," she concluded.

"Not a complete jerk. Just a partial one..." Edward shrugged.

"Yeah, maybe…" Rosalie sounded anything but convinced, as she wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm.

Edward hadn't even noticed that it had started raining again. It was just a light drizzle, but still, it made him wonder how long they had been talking? Ten minutes? Fifteen...? more?

"No offence Rosalie, but I think we're done here," he decided, running a hand trough his now damp hair. "You've said what you came here to say. I have listened."

"So you agree you'll stay away from Bella?"

"Bella who? I don't even know anyone by that name," he deadpanned. "Seriously, I'm done with all this drama. It will be like she never existed."

"Good, I'll hold you to that," she warned. "I'll speak with your sister and perhaps your mother too. I'll make sure they both continue to keep an eye on Bella- without tipping them off about what's been going on, of course. Geez, if looks could kill I'd be six feet under by now."

"Stay in your lane, Rosalie. Stay in your lane," he shot back. Then without ceremony, he turned on his heels and walked away.

.

…

.

 _ **AN:/ Bella's leg injury mentioned again. It appears as though Crowley ran over her foot with his stupid van.**_


	38. Chapter 38

_**An:/ Just to give you guys a bit of a time frame here (cuz I know you're impatient to get this plot moving forward) the next few chapters will be another one of Bella's nightmares, then a couple of flashbacks in B-pov, a conversation between Carlisle and Esme as they are settling down to sleep. Then as the new day dawns, Edward goes for a jog, then there is a breakfast scene with everyone (Bella included) before they all leave for school/work. That's when the next BIG thing will happen.**_

 _ **.**_

 **Chapter 38**

 **.**

 **-=[ Isabella Swan, 17 y.o]=-**

 _ ** **.****_

*-=((( Nightmare)))=-*

.

The scent of blood overpowered her senses. The sickeningly sweet smell clouded her thinking.

What had happened? She was unmoving, lying with her back on a bed of ferns and moss, with nothing but the dark forest surrounding her. She could have sworn that she had been sleeping but a moment ago.

The only sound in the eerily still forest was the symphony of pattering raindrops.

It was still… so still… Too still.

How long she'd been out there, she did not know. All sense of time had been shattered. She'd been drifting in and out of consciousness for a while it seemed. Her mind was oddly blank, it was almost as if her head was filled with nothing but cotton wool. It didn't stop there, her whole body felt strange – achy, heavy, unwilling.

She tried but failed to open her eyes and take a look around. The problem was she couldn't move at all, not even a finger or eyelid.

It didn't matter though. Somehow, she knew that if she opened her eyes she'd see a pitch black night sky and a mass of dark murky water flanked by reeds and ferns. And blood. If she opened her eyes, she'd see blood.

On the outside she remained unmoving, but inwardly she had curled around herself into a tight, tight ball. Her gasping breaths sounded unnaturally loud as wave after wave of pain gnawed at the fussy edges of her awareness. Her stomach felt like it had a hole in it and-…

Wait! Was it HER blood, or someone else's?

Panic made her chest feel tight, her lungs not quite able to expand. Hot tears welled up in her eyes and even though she didn't know what had happened, she knew something had gone wrong, so horribly wrong and it was all her fault.

A pained, strangled noise cut through the air and she realized it came from her own throat.

No, no, no… she didn't want to remember, didn't want to think about it. Unable to bear the rattling thoughts that threatened to take form, she let out another cry of pain.

It didn't help of course. Little by little, reality insisted on slipping back into her mind. It wasn't just that she wanted to block everything out. It was that she needed to for the sake of her sanity.

She had come to realize It WAS her own blood. She could feel the wetness of it against her skin. It was hard to ignore. It trickled from between her thighs, down her legs. She wanted to wipe it away, but still couldn't move to do so.

After a while her sobs faded into nothing again. The ringing absence of sound was back.

The void of unconsciousness threatened to engulf her again like a cold, wet autumn mist. She could feel her energy drain from her like someone had pulled a plug. It seeped into the ground beneath her.

Something told her that she should be more frightened, but she couldn't even work the energy to open her eyes.

This felt like the end, but she couldn't care less. She was beginning to feel detached from the pain and welcomed this new feeling of nothingness.….

The ground was cold, so cold… but all she felt was an increasing sense of numbness. She was floating into a state of peace and tranquility.

But then, suddenly, something in the air shifted and the silence was broken.

"Isabella?"

She wearily tried to make sense of the sound. It sounded familiar. Isa-bella. It rolled around in her head, distorting more and more each time it bounced of the walls of her skull.

"Isabella?"

Yes, yes. She knew that word. It was a name - her name. Someone was calling her name. But was this real, or just the product of her own increasingly irrational delusions?

"Isabella!" The voice was shouting her name now, but strangely enough it still sounded …distant. And there was a peculiar echoing quality to it, as though the voice was coming from the bottom of a well.

"Bella… ella…la"

It wasn't just one voice, she realized—it was multiple voices.

"Isabella… bella… ella…"

Was she expected to respond in some way? Make a sound? Open her eyes? She should want to, right? She should want to be found, to get help, to get out of the woods…. Yet, she felt oddly conflicted. More than anything, she wished she could float back into that deep, comfortable darkness where there was no pain and very few conscious thoughts.

"Bella?"

Something brushed against her. A hand was placed somewhere near her head. What was that part called? Oh yes. The shoulder. There was a hand gripping her shoulder, squeezing her.

What did they want with her? She just wanted to be left alone.

Suddenly, her whole world was shaking around her. Her body was lifted and jostled about.

"BELLA!"

The movement yanked her out of the void she had been floating around in. She blinked for a few seconds, momentarily shocked. Seeing something other than complete darkness was somewhat of a new experience. It took a while before she even could begin to take what was happening around her.

There was a shape of a person towering above her, silhouetted against the backdrop of the night sky… A face mere inches away from her own.

Of course, surrounded by mostly shadows and darkness, she still couldn't see much of anything. Then, without warning, the clouds shifted and a little bit of moonlight came through.

Slowly, the face became recognizable. Wide brown eyes, framed by thick lashes, gazed at her with fearful apprehension. Russet skin, sharp features. She knew this face, it was a familiar face. It was Jake. Jake was back.

She tried to say his name "Jacob… Jake," but it came out as a raw croak. Her tongue felt thick and heavy. Inhaling as deeply as she could, she tried again. "S'that really you?"

"Bella, can you hear me? Say something! Don't pass out again…"

"Where did you go?" she muttered. "Where did I go? There is so much pain… Why is there pain?"

"Sssh… I'll get you out of here, but we have to work together."

"I-.. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"I won't lie to you… It's bad. You've really gone and done it this time."

"Done what? I don't understand…"

Suddenly, something strange happened before her very eyes - the familiar features that made up Jakes alarmed face started morphing into something else, someone else entirely. This new face, this new person, staring down at her showed no hint of humanity, no bit of mercy, no care…

The man leaned close, his lips almost brushing against her ear, his menacing voice whispering, "Either you're a genius with acting skills beyond all of us, or you're just extremely stupid. I don't know which one it is yet."

She recognized that voice, she recognized those words. She screwed her eyes tight shut, but when she opened them again he was still there - Sam Uley- he was staring down at her with such hatred that it sent waves of shock through her body.

In a flash, she realized this was a nightmare. With that realization came the urge to fight against the paralyzing constrictions that held her back.

She woke with a jolt, her heart racing, her entire body bathed in perspiration.

.

…

.

 _The grotesque looking piece of flesh was blood red and pulsating with fluids smeared on almost every inch of it. The mass looked alien, yet familiar… and small….small… That word seemed to stick out in her mind-…_

An endless chain of disturbing dreams kept waking Bella throughout the night - nightmares she couldn't remember much about upon waking. She knew they were bad though, as they left her on the knife-edge of a panic attack. Carlisle had given her something to help her sleep –they are mild and calming to both mind and body, he'd said - but apparently they were only half working. While she had managed doze in and out of sleep a few times, it had not been what you'd call a peaceful rest. The calming effect just wasn't happening.

Too exhausted to stay awake, too distressed to get any quality, restorative deep sleep. It was a catch 22 of sorts and her anxiety continued to come and go in waves.

The unfamiliar surroundings didn't help either. With the curtains drawn and the bedside light glowing from inside a pastel red shade, the room looked very cosy and rosy… and very Esme. However, no matter how homey and warm it was, it still left her with that disoriented feeling of waking up, not knowing where she was.

Of course, the slight fever she had contracted over the last 24 hours only seemed to amplify her distress. She tried to keep it at bay with Tylenol and Ibuprofen, but her internal thermostat seemed to have gone haywire, alternating between freezing and burning up.

The lingering nausea was not kind to her either, but at least she had been able to keep water and painkillers down all afternoon and all evening - a small but important victory. She was fairly certain the Cullens (Carlisle in particular) would have forced her to spend the night in the ER, if her condition had not been improving.

And they were right to worry about her. Of course, Bella knew that excessive vomiting needed to be controlled before it could lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. To be honest though, not that much ACTUAL throwing up had been going on to begin with. It had just been convenient excuse she'd come up with to avoid questions. She knew she must look a mess, she certainly felt a mess. However, she most definitely did not want to talk about the real source of her discomfort and queasy feeling feeling - the fever, the cramps, the abdominal pain, the continuous bleeding…. _No, just NO!_

It wasn't just her body that ached, though. In her exhausted state it was nearly impossible to distinguish the physical pain from the pain in her heart. She realized she had spent the last couple of weeks walking around in a numb haze, a bubble devoid of emotions. But now that the bubble had burst, it all came bubbling up to the surface and out like molten lava from a volcano... and it hurt. Her heart ached, like a gaping, open wound.

'Did HE hurt, too? Did HE feel bad for how he'd treated her, or what he had done?' The thought popped up before she could help it.

Edward… Was Edward thinking about her at all? Or had he completely moved on with his life? Her heart twisted painfully again-...

NO! She wasn't going to waste her time thinking about him, damn it! And she wasn't going to cry, she reminded herself, squeezing her eyes tight against the threatening tears.

She was so tired and so freaked out, and she wasn't even sure why.

 _´You know why,'_ an inner voice chided. You don't want to understand it, but you do.

 _No. Nope, nope._ She forced his mind away from that line of thoughts.

It was all too hard to think about – even the mere possibility of….NO too hard to go there _._

 _Go where?_

 _The pain and the blood_ -…

 _NO! NOT GOING THERE._

Even her internal monologue was exhausting, so much so, that her mind was growing heavy and drowsy again. She didn't welcome it with open arms (out of fear of more nightmares), but she didn't fight it either. In spite of the situation, something resembling REM sleep eventually claimed her.

This time the dream was different – not quite a nightmare, but not one of those light, fluffy, carefree dreams either. It started off normal enough (if not a bit random) -Bella found herself on the curb outside Charlie's house. She didn't go inside the house though, instead she started walking up and down the street in a lap formation.

No one else was around at first. She was alone, but definitely waiting for someone or something…. When she started her third lap, a figure appeared in front of her in a ghost-like fashion. Green eyes and flashes of a copper mane of hair… she knew that face, she knew that person.

In an blink of an eye the dream began changing shape. Bella found herself lost in an intense longing. She dreamt of heated kisses and lingering touches, the pulse of a strong, muscular body pressed against hers. She dreamt of Edward and how things had been between them in the beginning, when they couldn't seem to get enough of each other.

With all her heart she wished she could hold onto him, but, unsurprisingly, not even in her dreams could she keep him. He simply wasn't hers to keep.

This, of course, was when everything started to fall apart around her and the dream took on the same bizarre and horrifying qualities of her previous nightmares… tormenting her with more strange visions and flashbacks, before finally, she would wake up covered in cold sweats again.


	39. Chapter 39

_**AN/ This turned into a long one. High school drama at it's finest... We have fruit flies, Jealous**_ _ **Jess and Alice short lived career as cheerleading flyer...**_

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-=[ Isabella Swan, 17 y.o. - the past]=-

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Fall had arrived to Forks in full force, and with fall came even more rain, but also cooler temperatures (no more eating lunch outside, unless you like freezing your butt off on regular basis…)

As all the autumn leaves turned to their brilliant hue around her, Bella found herself surprised at how intense the colors were and how spectacular everything looked, even in the rain. It almost lulled her into thinking that maybe she'd been too harsh in her assessment of Forks in the first place. Maybe she could get used to living there… or at the very least find a way to muddle through the two years it would take for her to finish high school. She snapped out of that delusion real quick though…

Time is a funny thing. It plays tricks on us, or perhaps it's our perceptions of time that tricks us.

Bella's first few weeks living with Charlie had seemed to pass excruciatingly slow, then BAM, next thing she knew a big chunk of time had gone by in a blink of an eye. Halloween was long gone, and Thanksgiving was the next speed bump in the express lane to the inevitable holiday season.

In addition to that, her birthday, which also happened to be in December, was fast approaching. It had been a crappy year and she was not looking forward to celebrating it one single bit, unless of course Charlie would change his mind and surprise her with a car, after all….Yeah, not very likely…

They say that you can get used to just about anything with time. Hedonic adaptation they call it; the more exposed you are to something, the more used to it you become. Bella found it a little frightening just how fast certain things seemed to become the new norm in her life.

Take the constant rain for example; nowadays it was almost a weird sensation to step outside the house and not have water coming at her from the sky. She'd gotten so used to the drizzle always being there that she didn't even bother with looking out her window, before getting dressed in the mornings.

And then there was school itself…it hadn't taken her THAT long to settle in and get used to her new teachers, classmates and schedule. Even if Forks High was smaller and the student body was less diverse than that of Bella's old school, there were just as many similarities between the two schools, as there were differences. It was kind of depressing, really, realizing this school, just like her old one, was filled with under-stimulated teenagers, wandering from classroom to classroom like zombie-like creatures.

Bella herself was no exception and she knew it. Her mind seemed to be operating in a constant autopilot-robot-mode these days. The "Bella-bot" was definitely a form of adaptation to survive the boredom of a typical school day.

Now, another thing around school she'd slowly but surely gotten used to was the idea of spending her lunch hour in the company of Alice Cullen. Eating outside was simply no longer an option. She had tried to sit with Angela a couple of times. That had turned out to be a bad idea though, as Mike Newton had a tendency to invite himself to join them at their table.

Mike wasn't a bad guy, or anything, but…. well, you could say that he, and his friends, was a bit like fruit flies. You don't want to be sitting there, trying to enjoy your food, endlessly shooing away flies.

Also, there was another issue. Whenever Mike would pay Bella too much interest, Jessica Stanley would start acting like a jealous freak… which, of course, was stupid and entirely unnecessary. Bella wasn't even the slightest bit interested in Mike. However, there was no convincing Jess of that, it seemed.

Unfortunately, when dealing with Jess, you also had to deal with her two lovely (or not so lovely) friends, Lauren and Victoria, as those three always traveled in a pack it seemed. Any attempt to speak with Jessica and set her straight about Mike, tended to turn nasty real fast. Honestly, no one wants to deal with that kind of drama… Or like Angie put it; "I'd stay clear of those stupid cows and their cow piles, if I were you. They only have one skill and that's eating and shitting at the same time."

The solution for the time being was eating her lunch over at Alice's table. Angie, being the saint that she was, had assured her she understood. Bella was still working on getting Angie and Alice to talk to each other, or better yet, settle their issues with one another. She saw no reason why they couldn't all hang out together, or at the very least sit at the same lunch table a few times a week. It was still a work in progress though. She'd been forced to accept that change wasn't gonna happen overnight there. Or even this semester…

So, in the meanwhile, off to the Cullen table Bella went every time the clock struck lunch…. It was by far the most effective way of keeping Mike Newton at arm's length as he was terrified of a certain someone often present at Cullen table… and no it wasn't Edward… but more about this in a minute.

Honestly, this new seating arrangement wasn't too bad. While Bella still thought Alice to be both overly talkative and hyper-social, it had not escaped her notice that Alice also seemed to possess both a creative and critical mindset.

It was certainly nice to be around someone that was actually capable of expressing some original thoughts every once in a while (not shading Angie here, but her friends were morons…). All everyone ever seemed to talk about around school was who'd said what on social media, who'd hooked up with whom, and, of course, at whose place the next party was going to be held - a repetitive cycle that seemed never ending.

At least Alice Cullen had hobbies and interests outside of school (and the party scene). In fact, all the Cullen kids -yes, even Edward- could carry a conversation on just about any topic. Of course, they were all still teenagers though, with teenage minds and interests. They could be discussing politics, economics or literature with passionate intensity one minute, only to cover the juiciest piece of school gossip the next.

Alice certainly had no problem to fill a full hour with talk about superficial and meaningless things like fashion and makeup and boys. She was the kind of intense person that needed others around to balance her out (or tell her to shut the fuck up and let someone else have a say every once in a while). Thankfully, her brothers (or Rosalie) were usually around to do just that.

Bella had to admit it wasn't just Alice that had grown on her; Emmett was pretty okay too – for a jock. He could be hysterically funny at times. Bella still avoided using the term 'friends' though. They were all acquaintances of sorts… and that was all there was to it. There was no point in forming attachments, if you're not going to be around more than a year or two.

Interesting enough, this whole lunch arrangement came with the perk of being on somewhat polite terms with Rosalie Hale. To be honest, Bella still found the aggressive side of Rosalie's passive-aggressive personality kind of scary, but it was probably a healthy fear, one that she shared with at least half the student body of Forks high - yes, Mike Newton included.

According to Angela, Newton was on Rosalie's shit list, simply for the fact that he'd been friends with her ex, Royce King. If Rosalie didn't like a person, she had no qualms about expressing her dislike. No fruit flies around the Cullen table in other words.

Speaking of Mike…. another thing that had become a constant in Bella's life was her job over at The Newton's Outfitters. Yes, she had eventually caved on that one. She simply couldn't find anyone else hiring her sorry ass.

She still babysat, but babysitting paid peanuts and she really needed to save up. Come springtime she was hoping to have enough to buy some type of motorized vehicle. That was the goal. If she couldn't afford a decent car, then she'd buy a scoter, or something… anything motorized with wheels that would get her out of having to carpool to school with her father (or the neighbors kids as he's been threatening her with as of late) would do.

So therefore she'd swallowed her pride and asked Mike if they were still hiring and if the offer to talk her up to his mom still stood. "Just be yourself- She'll love you," Mike had told her. And he had been right.

Surprisingly, Mrs. Newton had turned out to be pretty cool as far as grown-ups (and bosses) went. She'd hired Bella on the spot. Honestly, it was one of the very few times Bella had reaped any benefits of being Charlie Swan's daughter.

Now, this was where Bella's trouble with Jealous Jess had first started, because what Bella didn't know was that Mrs. Newton had rejected Stanley's job application… not once but twice in the past.

"I have bigger ambitions for my Mickey than for him to throw it all away on that Stanley girl," Mrs. Newton had said, elbowing Bella in the ribs. "You're going to college, aren't you? My son may not be Harvard material, but he is going to college if it kills me."

When Jessica had found out about Bella's new job, she'd turned spitting mad.

Of course, it didn't help that Mike and his friends –Erik Yorkie and Tyler Crowley—had been zooming in on Bella, like the annoying fruit flies they were, since day one…This was high-school drama at its finest.

Thankfully, the shifts Bella was given over at the Newton's were actually the ones Mike had been forced to drop, due to practice and team obligations. Yep, it was one of those years, where there had been a shortage of athletically skilled students trying out to be on the football team - the Forks Spartans.

Mickey, of course, had jumped at the opportunity to make the team. Essentially, he'd gone from being the water boy to becoming the new bench warmer. Apparently this was a big deal. Emmett had tried to explain it to her, but Bella just didn't care much for football… All she knew was that she rarely saw Mike at the Newton's. So all in all, it all worked out for the best.

Go Spartans!

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..

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Getting that job over at the Newton's marked a new era for Bella. With her weekly schedule filling up nicely, she saw a lot less of her father, which was an all around good thing as far as her general mood and sense of self-worth went (fewer arguments and a lot less stress).

She still had to attend her therapy sessions with Esme though - no getting out of that one, sigh….

Apart from therapy, and her two-nights-a-week job at Newton's, she also had a standing Thursday night babysitting gig over at the Weber's house. She usually hung out with Angela for a bit afterwards. They had formed a routine where Angie would borrow her mother's old minivan to give Bella a ride home. It was a short, ten minutes drive, but Bella often stayed in the car and chatted with Angie for a good half hour, before saying goodbye and heading inside.

This was how she'd first found out about Jealous Jess "having it out" for her, but also, other tidbits of useful information, like Rosalie's strong hate for anything reminding her of her ex, and the 'on-again-off-again' nature of James and Vicky's relationship. "I'm telling you Bella, that guy is creepy for real, like collecting virgins and drugging them kind of creepy…. Stay far, far, away from him!"

Bella needn't be told twice. The few run-ins she'd had with the guy had already set off a massive amount of red flags. The same went for his girlfriend. That chick was seriously bordering on being "batshit crazy". Strange to think that Alice had been hanging out with the likes of Vicky, Lauren and Tanya, back in the days when Alice still did cheerleading.

"Bella, your junior year in high school is probably one of the most critical years in your life. You want to be popular, you want to make friends, you want to be a cheerleader… Well, not you and me, of course, we're smarter than that, but I'm sure those were Alice's goals, that first year of high school," Angela had tried to explain. "I don't know exactly what happened there, but it's difficult to stay at the top of the pyramid, to be a flyer, if the bases, the girls who are supposed to be holding you up suddenly decide to drop you. You don't survive cheerleading if you have enemies on the squad – unless, of course, you're Rosalie Hale.

 _Eh, of course…._

Another thing that had slowly but surely become a routine in Bella's life was the Tuesday nights she spent over at the Cullen's. Well, the lunch seating arrangement thingy had happened first, but it didn't take long before it escalated into including movie nights over at 'the Casa Cullen' as well…

Bella hadn't exactly jumped at the invitation that first time Edward had brought it up. Getting her daily fill of the Cullen twins over lunch was more than enough of socializing with them as far as Bella was concerned. Not to mention that first study date with Alice had been awkward as hell… No, she hadn't been planning on subjecting herself to another night over at the Cullen's place anytime soon…

Honestly, she'd been hella suspicious of Edward's motives at first, seeing as he'd flip-flop worse than a politician at election time. There had to be a catch, right?! The way Edward had gone from warning her to stay away from him and his siblings to encouraging her to come around the house to hang out with them had been odd to say the least.

Was Edward really that worried she'd rat him out? It seemed ludicrous that the school board, or his parents for that matter, would get their shorts (or raincoats, this was Forks after all) in a twist over some weed passing through school grounds…She'd thought it was a fairly normal thing, that some stupid kid would get caught doing something like that at least once or twice every semester. At least that had been a normal occurrence at her old school.

No, there had to be more to it, Bella decided. It had to be a pity invite, or something… Edward must still be feeling guilty for what had transpired that one time, when he'd forcefully cornered her behind the gym building. He'd witnessed her having a bit of a breakdown from an anxiety overload - no scratch that- he'd been the one causing her to have a breakdown at school. And because of that, he now felt he had to be nice to her or something.

Ugh, Bella hated that kind of behavior.

She didn't want him to be NICE. She wanted him to keep up with usual abrasive assholery behavior.

Needless to say, she'd been hell bent on avoiding Edward's weird invitation at first. However, after a few weeks of eating lunch with Alice & CO, fate had stepped in and Bella had found herself knocking on the door to the Cullen household on a Tuesday evening….

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…

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It had all started at lunch.

Alice had been running late to the cafeteria for some reason – Bella strongly suspected the reason was Jasper Whitlock, as he, too, had pulled a no show. Good news for Alice, but bad news for Bella's appetite and sanity, it seemed... Because with no Alice around to distract her, Bella found that the ever present PDA, courtesy of Emmett and Rosalie, was more nauseating and irking than ever. Just their noises alone made you want to cover your ears and toss your cookies until they quit.

 _Did they always suck face like snails against a fish tank wall? Ugh…_

The only other person around the table at the time had been Edward, who, of course, had not said a word since placing his butt on the chair. He was in one of his moods it seemed, as he hadn't even bothered to give her one of his patented, silent glares yet.

Bella looked down at the peanut butter and jelly sandwich in her hand, realizing she wasn't particularly hungry anymore. She still forced herself to take another bite, because if she didn't eat now, she'd regret it in a few hours. Just as she swallowed it down though, Emmett let out a sound -a horrible noise, somewhere between a slurp and a slobber that morphed into a moan towards the end… And yep, that did it… appetite officially ruined.

"Welcome to my world, Swan," Edward suddenly spoke up, pushing his own, mostly untouched, food away.

"What?" Bella started coughing as parts of her sandwich had gone down the wrong pipe.

"It's like clockwork; they'll be like this every other Tuesday… It's like watching a weird-ass mating ritual," Edward explained, though it didn't really clear anything up.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bella asked, confused.

There was that slurping sound again, apparently this time it signaled that Emmett and Rosalie had parted for air, because it was Emmett, not Edward, who answered her. "It means that it is date night tonight and we have the whole house to ourselves," he sing-songed happily. "A whole glorious evening without parental supervision, with all what that entails…"

Oh, it was one of those Tuesdays…"Your parents have a date tonight?" Bella asked, for clarification as she finally clued in.

"Yep, in Port A," Emmett replied at the same time as Edward said, "I told you, it's like clockwork, every other Tuesday, " with a shake of his head.

"They might even decide to spend the night there. They do that from time to time. Dad has access to an overnight apartment, you see," Emmett wiggled his eyebrows. "We've got elaborate plans. Oooh, you should come too, little Swan," he suddenly suggested enthusiastically. "She can join the fun, right Rosie?

"Eh… Thanks, but no thanks," Bella refused quickly, not waiting for Rosalie's response.

She needn't have worried though. "Get your mind out of the gutter," Rosalie snorted. "He's talking about our movie night and massive Chinese take-out feast! It's a long-standing tradition."

"Like I said, you should come," Emmett nodded, an amused smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Come where?" Alice asked, suddenly materializing out of nowhere.

"I was inviting Bella to join us over at Casa Cullen tonight," Emmett explained.

"Yeah, you should totally come," Alice was quick to agree. "It'll be like old times. We used to have tons of people come over all the time," she added almost wistfully."I mean, other people than just Rosalie and Jasper… They don't count anymore, they are practically part of the inventory by now."

"Hey!" Emmett protested. "My girlfriend isn't part of some freaking inventory."

"Don't take everything so literally. I just meant she's part of the family and that we are like sisters now…."

"Aww, thanks Alice," Rosalie smiled. "Does this mean you consider Jasper your brother though? Because… I mean, how is that working out for you?"

"Err, I have enough brothers already. Jasper is more like a very, VERY distant third cousin or something," Alice babbled somewhat nervously and then abruptly went on changing the subject. "Oh and by the way, I'm voting for Dim Sum… Pretty please, can we have Dim Sum tonight?"

"That's not Chinese. And hold up, speaking of Jaz, where is he anyway?" Rosalie asked, not quite ready to let that particular subject drop just yet. "He owes me a pack of cigarettes. How long does it take to drop off a book at the library?" she asked innocently (or deviously perhaps… Bella wasn't sure).

"The library?" Edward cut in, his eyes narrowing. "Isn't that what you said you were doing, Al? Dropping off a book at the library?"

"Oh, funny coincidence…" Alice responded with just a hint of a blush. "I did see him there as I was leaving. He was chatting up Mrs. Gladys, I believe I heard something about an overdue fine…"

 _Oh, smooth Alice, smooth…._

"Hey Alice, what happened to your lipstick?" Rosalie asked seemingly out of the blue, though Bella easily connected the questions and could guess where this was going.

"Wha-?" Alice seemed surprised (or horrified) and immediately covered her face with one hand, while using the other to pull out the miniature compact mirror she had attached to her bundle of keys.

"No, no, it looks fine." Rosalie assured her, sounding like she was holding back laughter. "It just... Did you change it from this morning? The color is different, more intense or something. It's a nice shade on you though."

"I agree," Bella nodded teaming up with Rosalie, just for the heck of it. "It gives your lips a puffier, freshly kissed look."

"Oh, shut up," Alice's gave them both dirty looks. "It's the same lipstick I've been wearing all week. My 'Wild Strawberry' one. I just reapplied it, that's all."

"Why would you apply more lipstick before eating? That's stupid," Emmett commented, completely oblivious to what Rosalie had been hinting at.

"Why? I'll tell you why, because I can, that's why," Alice huffed, matter-of-factly, clearly hoping to squash the inquisition, before her brothers would clue in.

"You wanna know what else is stupid –'Wild Strawberry'?! I mean, what kind of name is that?" Emmett continued like he hadn't heard her. "Sounds like a yogurt flavor or something. It looks like pink to me. Why not just call it pink?"

"When you sell it for $48.00 a tube, the manufacturers can't just call it Pink." Edward snorted. "It simply doesn't sound fancy enough."

"Oh, you buy lipstick often then, Eddie?" Emmett raised an eyebrow. "What's your shade? 'Cotton candy' or 'Unicorn Mist'?"

"Please, with my complexion? " Lo and behold, Mr. Grumpy played along without missing a beat. "No, it's 'Deep plum'. I only wear earthy tones, obviously..." Edward added, puckering his lips together in a kissy-face.

"Obviously," Emmett snorted. "I forgot about your copper hair and chalk-white skin tone there for a moment."

"It's not copper," Edward huffed indignantly. "It's a very manly shade of auburn, thank you very much."

"Suuure… and the sky isn't blue, and grass isn't green, and the sun doesn't rise in the East anymore," Emmet said teasingly.

Even Bella had to laugh at this. Their banter was hilarious at times. Emmett could always bring the natural comedy out of any situation. It was one of his best traits. That and his his easy-going charm. He could be persuasive like no other when he put his mind to something. Of course, Bella knew that before the lunch hour had come to an end, he'd be making another attempt at trying to convince Bella to join them for their movie night…and sure enough, five minutes later he was at it again…

"Swan, if you're not seated in my couch by half past seven tonight, I'll phone Jessica Stanley and tell her I saw Newton walking you home after your shift at the store yesterday," he threatened. "I'll tell her it looked like you were all over him, trying to get him to kiss you."

"Yeah, because you phoning her out of the blue won't seem suspicious at all," Bella replied with a snort.

"Okay, I suppose I could always leave her an anonymous note in her locker instead," he shrugged.

"Sure, you do that… I've got a pretty good alibi, seeing as Mike was at practice with Jess there watching his every move."

"So, I won't specify which night it was. It could have been Monday… No practice on Mondays…"

"Give it a rest, Emmett. She obviously doesn't want to come, and you should stop trying to make her change her mind," Rosalie cautioned.

"Please, it's not like she has other plans," Emmett insisted.

"Maybe she isn't in the mood for Chinese," Edward offered in a bored tone. "Or maybe she's embarrassed about her lousy chopsticks skills? She's not the most coordinated person, you know."

"I'll get you a pizza if that's better? Just promise you'll think about it. Okay, Swan?!"

"Yeah, fine I'll think about it. Don't hold your breath though… I still have to ask Charlie for permission. I can already tell you he's not going to be happy about having to chauffeur me around."

"Is that all? That's a non-issue," Emmett decided, with a shrug of his shoulders. "Rosalie won't mind swinging by and picking you up on her way home from cheerleading practice. Right, Ro?"

Rosalie was not quite as enthusiastic, but she agreed to the arrangement none the less. "If you want a ride Bella, you got one. Just send me a text."

As they walked out of the cafeteria, Alice pulled Bella aside. "Please, you should come tonight. It will be fun!"

"Are you sure this is such a good idea?"

"Yeah, of course I am…. If this is about my grumpy-ass twin brother, don't pay any attention to him. I know he's giving you the silent treatment, but he does that a lot. It's either that, or he tries to scare the living daylight out of people by acting all creepy and stuff... He doesn't mean to be rude, he just doesn't know any better... It's nothing personal."

 _Eh… sure Alice. Whatever you say…_

"I know my brother. He doesn't mind. If he did, he would have said so."

Bella wasn't entirely convinced. She'd tried to gage Edward's reaction earlier at the table, but it had been impossible to read him. His face showed no emotion. In fact the most she'd gotten from him over the last week and a half were a few grunted monosyllables…. Super annoying! She got enough of that from Charlie already….

Ugh… Maybe she SHOULD hang out with Edward's family for an entire evening just to annoy him, like he was annoying her at the moment. Yeah, she totally should… someday. Not today, though.

"Okay, like I said before, I'll think about it." Bella agreed, already knowing the answer would be a 'NO'.

…

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Later that afternoon, Bella was picked up from school by Charlie as per usual. They didn't talk much during the drive, but they rarely ever did - unless they were arguing about one thing or another.

As they turned the last corner and the house came into view, Bella groaned inwardly. Seth Clearwater had his friends over, it seemed.

There was a large group of teens milling around on the driveway in front of the neighbor's house. Bella felt multiple sets of eyes on her as she stepped out of the car.

 _'Damn Jake and his big mouth!' Did these kids not have anything else to talk about?!_

Charlie closed Bella's car door for her and followed her up the path towards the front porch.

As much as she wanted to hurry inside, she was key-less (she'd picked wrong jacket that morning, damn it!) and found herself forced to wait for her slow ass father.

Now this was unfortunate, because while Charlie fumbled around for his keys, they were accosted by Sue Clearwater, who came walking towards them with a trash bag in hand.

She waved and exchanged an enthusiastic 'hello' with Charlie, but didn't stop until she was standing right in front of Bella.

"Isabella, hi! I'm so glad I caught you. I feel I never see you these days," she said, smiling widely. "How are you? How's school and work going? Don't take on any more shifts, your dad's been telling me how you've been collapsing into bed with your clothes on at night. "

"Oh. Hi, Sue! I'm fine, school is the same as always and things at Newton's going well, but yes, my days tend to be a bit too long at times…"

"You're only sixteen. It's important you make time for friends and fun too," Sue scolded with a motherly smile.

"Seventeen in a few weeks, and I prefer to keep myself busy, but thanks for the advice," Bella responded, plastering a polite smile on her face, before turning to Charlie. "Dad, the keys, please!" she reminded him.

"So impatient," her father muttered, as he started patting his pockets again. " Bells, how about you make yourself useful and check the mailbox while you're waiting," he suggested.

She refrained from rolling her eyes. There was nothing in the mailbox that couldn't wait a day or two. She did what he'd asked of her though, mostly to avoid having to stick around for more small talk with Sue.

As Bella returned two minutes later with one sad, unwanted flyer in hand, she caught the end of what sounded like a dinner initiation.

"…hot wings tonight. Come on over, I know it's your favorite, with the hot sauce that makes your ears smoke."

"I- uhm—that does sound good. Are you sure you don't mind?" Charlie asked, sounding both hopeful and resigned at the same time. He'd probably been looking forward to a night of vegging out in front of the TV with a case of beer at hand. Sue's food was always good though, so Bella understood his dilemma.

"Of course not. I offered, didn't I?" Sue assured Charlie, before turning to Bella. "What do you say, Bella? Fancy some chicken wings?"

"I think I'll have-…." she started saying, but Sue didn't let her finish. "Leah will be home soon, I'm sure she'd love to catch up with you."

Meh…an arranged play date. Now that's okay if you are six, but not when you're sixteen. Also, Bella knew from experience that this invitation also entailed having to sit through a whole dinner worth of Sue's fruitless attempts at flirting with the ever oblivious Charlie - a spectacle that could be hilarious at times, but also awkward as hell.

"Sue, it sounds great. We'll be over in… let's say, half an hour," Charlie decided for the both of them. His love for hot wings had won over his thirst for beer it seemed. Maybe he was hoping he could squeeze in both before the night was over.

"No, wait!" Bella protested. "I mean, I want to, but I can't, I've got other plans."

"What other plan's, Bella? You've gotta eat, don't you?"

"Well…" She struggled to come up with an excuse on the spot and ended up blurting the first thing that came to mind. "I can't because… eh… Dim Sum."

"What?"

"I can't because I'm expected over at the Cullen's tonight. Me and Alice are gonna work on our biology project and then afterwards Esme is gonna teach us how to make Dim Sum."

Even as she said it, Bella cringed inwardly.

 _Excellent job there, Swan. Way to go getting yourself caught up in an over-elaborate lie…_

She hadn't meant to throw in Esme's name there, but….oh well…

"Dim Sum? That's something you eat, right?" Charlie asked, looking dubious.

"Yeah, it's a Vietnamese dish, mom's favorite, actually. We used to eat Dim Sum all the time back in Phoenix, but sadly you won't find anything resembling authentic Asian food here in Forks… and mom's not around either…"

 _Nice, little bit of guilt tripping thrown in too._

"You had Chinese the other week and you said it was alright-…"

"It WAS alright, for an Americanized version of Chicken and Cashew Nuts. It's hard to screw that up…. Anyway, Esme mentioned she actually knows how to make Dim Sum… Obviously, it's not going to be the same as the real thing, but at least it's something..."

"If she's got plans she's got plans. Don't worry about it, Charlie," Sue cut in. "I've got an eggroll recipe that's suppose to be really good. I've been meaning to try it out, but I haven't gotten around to it. Maybe I can tempt you to come over for some Eggrolls with Sweet and Sour Mandarin Sauce next week, Isabella?"

"Sure, sounds good. Thanks Sue!" Bella replied, reminding herself to smile at the woman.

"Not so fast Bells," Charlie sighed and scratched his mustache. "How come this is the first I hear of these plans?"

"I did tell you about it a week ago. Not my fault you never listen to a thing I say. Don't worry, I'm not asking you to drive me there or anything. I've got a ride, it's already been sorted."

"Which one of your friends driving you?" he asked narrowing his eyes. "You know how I feel about the kids in this town and their reckless driving. I don't-.."

"Rosalie Hale is picking me up. Technically she's eighteen and not a kid anymore. She has a clean record, no accidents and no speeding…"

"I don't know about this… It's still a school night. When I agreed that you could take that job over at Newton's, you promised your school work wouldn't suffer."

"I've already finished my homework - everything except my biology assignment which I was planning on working on tonight with Alice, who is, you know, my biology partner..."

"Well-…"

"Great, thanks dad! I'll be home before eleven."

"Ten."

"Dim Sung takes ages to cook. Wouldn't want to disappoint Esme, now would we?"

"Fine, ten thirty. Not a minute later."

"Thanks dad."

So, that's how that very first Tuesday night at the Cullens came about….

.

..

.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40  
**

 **.**

 **-=[ Isabella Swan, 17 y.o, - the past]=-**

.

Soon those 'Date-Night–Tuesdays' over at the Cullen household became something of a routine. Not a boring one—Emmett made sure of that—but a comfortable, predictable routine none the less.

They'd start off the evening by eating dinner straight out of takeout containers with a horror movie playing on the TV in the background. If it wasn't a horror movie, it would be a thriller, mystery, crime, murder or something else of similar 'genre'. Apparently, Edward was allergic to romantic comedies and relationship dramas (insert eye roll). So horror it was…

Fast forward an hour… The movie would still be playing, but no one would be paying it much interest anymore and absolutely no one would be in the same spot they had started out in.

 _Funny how Alice and Jasper always ended up on the same couch as one another…_

Emmett had clearly worked out a strategy; a successful one at that. After two or three rounds of burping and farting in rapid succession (blaming it on the cabbage in the eggrolls, of course), he'd find himself alone on the biggest, comfiest couch in the room. Not alone, alone, of course, as he would usually end up snuggling up under a blanket with his girlfriend before the evening was over (though sometimes he'd go overboard with the farting and Rosalie would refuse to go near him).

Those two lovebirds only had two modes it seemed, either they'd be all over each other, or they'd be on opposite sides of the room, complaining humorously about each other's irritating habits.

Anyway, these nights always ended in the same manner; one by one, they'd start making phony excuses and then head off to bed surprisingly early by teenage standards…

 _Again, funny how no one ever paid any notice of what Jasper was up to… because leave the house he did not…_

Edward would usually be the first one to disappear. He rarely ever stayed put for an entire movie. He didn't talk much, didn't eat much. He didn't do much of anything. Why he even bothered to make an appearance at all was a bit of a mystery to Bella… but whatever…

Alice would be next to excuse herself with some unconvincing yawns. Soon thereafter Jasper would follow suit.

Bella wasn't sure how long Emmett and Rosalie actually stayed as she would usually try and sneak off while they were otherwise distracted (not by the movie, mind you). Loads of 'under-blanket' activity going on in their corner of the room... Thankfully, this meant Bella could usually get away with a similar disappearance act as the one Jasper pulled and leave without actually leaving.

Of course, that first Tuesday she'd snuck out of the house with the every intention of leaving and going home. She hadn't counted on Edward lurking in the dark waiting for her though.

She'd heard him, before she had caught sight of him. He was hard to miss, as he was whistling some undefined inane tune. In hindsight, she suspected it was solely for her benefit, that he was whistling to make sure he wouldn't startle her the way he had in the past, which…. well, it was a considerate gesture, she had to give him that ….

"Took you long enough, Swan" he said with a gruff voice as she came closer. By now she could see the telltale glow of an orange flame. He was holding a lit cigarette in his hand. No, not a cigarette. A joint.

"I was beginning to think you'd stood me up," he continued.

"Stood you up?" she parroted dumbly, mind racing.

"That you'd be going home with my buddy Jasper tonight," he smirked. "I saw you eyeing him throughout the movie, when you thought nobody was looking."

"I-I.. No! He just happen to be seated between me and Al-… " she started, stuttering a bit, but Edward cut her off.

"Geez, relax I'm kidding. Besides, Jasper is under strict orders not to go anywhere near you."

"What? Who's orders? Alice?"

"Al? Why would you say that?" he asked, sounding confused for a moment. Then, he seemed to remember the topic at hand. "No, as a matter of fact, they were direct orders from the Ice Queen."

"Rosalie? But why?… I mean, she's with your brother and-.."

"Oh, you don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Rosalie and Jasper are siblings."

"Whaaat?"

"It's true, they are step-siblings, since about four years ago. They are not happy about it. Both of them hate the other and their respective parent for ruining the spoiled, easy life they had going for them as only children." He chuckled a little before he continued. "Jaspers dad and Rosalie's mom first got together by cheating on their spouses. Jasper lost his mother to breast cancer in the midst of it all. You'd think the sneaking around would have ended there, but nope. It went on for years, before they got caught. The whole affair was the opposite of classy, as I'm sure you can imagine… "

"Oh… I had no idea. They never-…"

"Talk about it. No, I suppose not." He took a drag of the joint, before he continued. "Rosalie used to bitch and moan about having to move her stuff from one house to another every few days, splitting holidays and birthdays between her parent's places etc. Nowadays though, she's always with Em over at our place anyways, so problem solved."

"Okay, but I still don't understand why she'd tell him to stay away. Rosalie thinks I'm bad news or something…Is that it?"

"Na, it's the other way around. He's the bad news and you're the innocent little lamb that needs to be spared."

"Oh, please... I can take care of myself," she snorted. "And for the record I have no interest in Jasper Whitlock."

"Could have fooled me, the way you were gawking at him…"

"Was NOT!" she protested. "But Cullen, even if I were… I'm pretty sure I'm allowed to look at him or any other guy any way I want... as long as I don't make anyone uncomfortable, of course. Jasper seems like a decent enough guy, but he looks too much like a hippie stoner wannabe for me."

"Oh so, that's why you were staring. Trying to figure him out, eh?"

"Figure what out?"

"Jasper will never help you score any Ganja." He shook his head. "He's a dead end. The Ice Queen isn't the only one that can give out orders. Capish?"

Her eyes widened, not sure if he really insinuating what she thought he was. "You think that's why I came here tonight? To score me some dope?"

"Isn't it? Honestly, I don't blame you…. Life's definitely too short to mess it up with bad weed, we are in agreement there."

He blew out a puff smoke, before surprising the hell out of Bella by unceremoniously offering her the joint.

"Wha-? You're so confusing, Cullen. Talk about mixed signals," she complained, but took the offered joint, careful not to touch his fingers as she did so. She brought it to her mouth, closing her eyes as she inhaled deeply.

"I'm not sending you any signals, I'm just standing here," he answered nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.

"'Stay away from my siblings'… 'Don't get too friendly with my friends'… 'Don't go nosy around too much!'…. 'But please come by the house if you feel like it… Preferably a Tuesday, when my parents are out, because that's when I'm most likely to be lighting up a fat one-…."

"Hey now, I've never said anything of those things," he objected, but the smug little quirk of his lips said it all.

"Whatever. You're full of shit, and you know it."

"Nah, at least 60 percent is water." He motioned for her to take another drag of the joint. "It's yours. I don't want it back. And just so we're clear here, I don't want your money."

"That's the only currency I'm comfortable with. If this is where you tell me you want payment in sexual favors, then I'm outta here."

"Gawd, you're so suspicious of every darn thing I say or do, Swan!"

"Can you blame me?! No one ever does ANYTHING for free. So why are you doing this? What's in it for you?"

"I don't want to see you go shopping around at school and I don't want you messing with my supply line."

"Yeah, you've said that already." She blew the smoke in his face.

"Not really asking anything of you in return, but for future reference, I'm more likely to be in a charitable mood, if you stick to the rules."

"What rules? See, I knew there was a catch…."

"Suggestions, guidelines, common sense…. " He shrugged. "I call them rules, but you can call them whatever you're comfortable with… There are three of them, to be precise. First of all, my sister... I know you think she's a bit over the top, but have you actually put in any real effort to get to know her? Be her friend, or don't. It's up to you. Just be straight with her and make it as painless as possible. What Alice need is an actual friend, someone with a little backbone, someone who isn't constantly bending over backwards to fit in with the popular crowd."

"I thought that position was already filled by Hale-…."

"Ssh, I'm talking here! Rosalie will be off to college next year and I don't want Alice to start hanging out with the likes of Vicky and Lauren again."

"Heavens forbid," Bella rolled her eyes.

"You want to hear this or not?" he questioned, clearly annoyed with her.

"Sorry…I'll shut up. So what's number two?"

"Don't get us in trouble with your dad."

She opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it.

"Or my parents, or school, or anyone else with authority to make the next two years in this hell hole an even bigger nightmare than it already finally-the third and final rule- don't mess with my supply line, which essentially means you've gotta be careful with what you say, around town in general, but more specifically around your friends from La Push, is that understood?!"

"Wha-…? Why would you say that?"

"Say what?"

"I only have one friend from La Push and he's just a kid, he's harmless…"

Edward was shaking his head. "You don't need to know why, you just need to trust me on this one...Don't talk about me with them, with anyone really, and we won't have a problem. Do we have a deal, or are you gonna continue to be difficult?"

"Wait, you want me to be nice to your sister and keep my mouth shut… Is that all?"

"I think it's pretty straight forward…" he shrugged.

"And in return you're saying you'll split your herbs EVENLY with me."

"Dream on, Swan. Dream on…" he snorted. "What I'm saying is that good deeds will occasionally be rewarded with good weed."

"Occasionally….?"

"How about every odd Tuesday."

"You expect me to come on over here and hang out with your sister every time your parents go on their date nights?"

"I don't expect anything. That's up to you to decide. I'm just saying, the vibe around here is more relaxed when my parents are away -…"

"Okay," she interrupted him. "I hear what you're saying. That's the part that actually makes sense… the rest not so much."

"So do we have an understanding?"

"Fine," she answered after staying silent for a few heartbeats. "I suppose we better shake on it." She quickly pretended to spit in her hand before extending it to him. As expected his eyes grew so big that you could see the whites.

 _Saliva… Oh, the horror! Insert eye roll…_

"Relax, I'm only kidding." Bella laughed, as Edward took a few step backwards.

"Funny, Swan… very funny!"

No hands were actually shaken, but that night did indeed mark the beginning of an odd friendship.

Thankfully, the next time Charlie had caught up with Esme, which had been at the Drug Store almost two weeks later, the subject of Dim Sum never come up. Something that was discussed however was the A + that Bella and Alice had gotten on their joint biology assignment. This was a first for Alice, who despite being exceptionally bright, had some issues with sitting still and concentrating in school, and often needed some motivation to get through more than one or two textbook pages at a time. Esme had even gone as far as suggesting that they should encourage this new friendship as it seemed both girls could benefit from it.

Charlie had agreed, of course, while silently patting himself on the back, thinking the worst part of Bella's transition into her new life was over.

Ironically, once her father had gotten over his original hesitation, he had no problem granting Bella permission to stay out late on school nights… as long as it was the Cullens she was visiting. All he asked of her, really, was that she kept her phone charged and always answered it when he called to check on her. Well, that and also, 'no getting in cars with strangers'. He didn't want her accepting rides from anyone he hadn't pre-approved of -meaning none of the Cullen boys were allowed to drive her …or any of the boys from school really. Bella mostly walked anyway, so it didn't really change anything.

After a while, Charlie even started approving sleepovers, but only on nights when he was scheduled for night shifts.… which was quite often… This slightly unexpected development was a win-win, for both of them really. Charlie didn't want to leave his daughter unsupervised at night and Bella didn't want to be forced to hang out with Sue and her kids more than necessary.

Little did Charlie know that Bella typically saw far more of Edward than Alice during these sleepovers, or that Esme and Carlisle were rarely around to supervise (half the time they weren't even aware Bella was on the premises). Then again, there are some things parents shouldn't know about their children…

…

.

Thanksgiving came and went, as did Bella's birthday. It came as absolutely no surprise when her only wish didn't come true. Sadly there was no new, shiny car sitting on the driveway that morning…

While she probably did need to invest in a proper winter coat at some point in the near future, the gift card for clothes her father gifted her with was practical, but not very exciting.

Charlie had also roped Sue into baking a birthday cake, which of course had turned into a full three course meal over at her house (insert head-banging on the wall here).There really wasn't much Bella could do about it, other than smile and lie through her teeth.

' _Wow, this was a lovely surprise, Sue!'_

She just had to get through one night of polite small talk -look interested, stay present in the moment and try not to offend anyone. How hard could it be, right?!

' _Yes Sue, I like your eggrolls just fine. They are just as good as Esme's Dim Sum.'_

' _How did you know Red Velvet Cake is my favorite Dad?'_

" _Oh, sorry Leah... Didn't know you were allergic."_

" _Too bad you_ _taste buds haven't bounced back yet, Seth."_

As fate would have it, Seth kept an uncharacteristically low profile throughout the dinner (he had a man cold and was acting like he was dying) and Leah…. well, Leah never really interacted with anyone, it seemed.

All in all, it had not been too bad though. Her father didn't make much noise other than the occasional grunt and thankfully, Sue had the good sense of not making a move on him in front of Bella on her birthday.

Needless to say, Bella had been very relieved when the day had finally come to an end; at least it had passed with minimum fanfare… both at home and at school… it could have been so much worse.

She shuddered at the thought of having people at school knowing and acknowledging that it was her indeed her birthday.

In Bella's case the only one that had said anything was Angela, who had presented her with a Triple Chocolate Nutella Cupcake – Bella's actual favorite- complete with a candle on top and everything.

She'd dragged Bella with her so that they were behind the auditorium and away from prying eyes, before she'd pulled out the box with the cupcake though, so Bella hadn't been too upset with her.

Someone that had been genuinely upset, however, was Alice. She'd found out two days later and was miffed to say the least.

"Seriously, who doesn't love birthdays? Cake, presents, friends-..."

"And a mother that wakes you in the morning by coming into your room singing happy birthday to you..."

"Oh, I'm sorry Bella. Didn't think of that. It's your first, right? First birthday without her?"

Yes, Alice knew... Actually, the whole school seemed to have found out, from one week to another. She wasn't sure how the word got out so fast, but she figured that Mike had something to do with it. He'd heard about it from his mom, who'd heard about it from one of Charlie's coworkers. He'd been very nice about it though, and only asked if it was true, without pushing for more information, or asking how she was holding up or any stupid question like that... Guess the guys on the football team were terrible gossips, worse than a bunch of old ladies on bridge night.

"I'm a good listener, if you want to talk about it," Alice had suggested.

"No, I don't want to talk about it. I just want to forget…"

Now, if Alice had been any other person, the conversation would have ended there, right?! But nope… Later that day she'd appeared in front of Bella in the hallway, exclaiming, "Bella, Bella, there you are! I've been looking all over for you. Listen, I know just the thing to cheer you up! You're coming with me and Rose on our spa day this upcoming weekend!"

Thankfully, Bella had managed to weasel her way out of that one real quick... and with minimum lying…

 _Phew!_

"Sorry Alice, but I've already made plans. I have a date."

 _Now, that was an excuse she had never used before, that's for sure…._

It was just a friendly date with Jake, of course, but Alice didn't know that. It actually worked in Bella's favor that she had not taken the time to explain the true nature her relationship (or none-relationship) with Jake, to anyone except Angie. It simply hadn't come up in conversation. And even if it had, she probably wouldn't have said much. She just preferred keeping different aspects of life separate.

Anyway, Bella had eventually managed to placate Alice by promising that she could help her plan something for the following year – because apparently you can not NOT have a party for your eighteenth birthday…

.

…

..

The 'none-date-date' with Jake that weekend had been pleasant, relaxing one. Bella had spent an entire Saturday over at his place.

As it turned out, Jake had arranged not one, but two, birthday surprises for her. The first one came in the shape of a car. Yep, that's right, Jake had bought her a car…. or well, sort of…

It was a red, 1953 Chevy pick-up truck - a rusty old relic that looked like it had been left in a murky pond for about a decade. He'd told her he couldn't promise anything, but that he was making it his winter project to try and get the car in working order.

Bella didn't have the heart to tell him that there was no chance in hell that Charlie would allow for her to drive around in something that was built before the invention of ABS brakes and Servo assisted steering. It was the thought that counted, after all….

The other birthday surprise came when Jake offered to teach her how to ride one of his dirt bikes. Bella knew this was an activity he truly enjoyed and that he spent countless of hours on his bike when the weather allowed for it. However, whenever she'd suggested that he could teach her and that it was something they could do together, he'd point blank refuse to partake in any such thing.

"Don't think so!" He would laugh at her. "Do I look like someone with a death wish?"

Jake had been worried Charlie would have his head on a plate if Bella were to come home with scrapes and bruises, something he'd said was unavoidable given how accident-prone Bella was. He didn't want to take her cliff diving either (another thing that was big with the rez kids).

However, for this very special occasion, Jake had manage to borrow a helmet and an entire leather suit for Bella to wear – jacket, pants, gloves, boots… the works.

"It's even padded, see… If you still manage to break or sprain anything while wearing this… then I give up. The only thing left to try would be to bubble wrap you from head to toe."

"I'm not THAT uncoordinated."

She wasn't.

In fact, she hadn't broken any bones that day. Save for a shitload of bruises and some very sore muscles she had faired pretty well. Riding a dirt bike had been just as adrenaline pumping and scary as Bella had hoped for.

It was something she had needed. She needed to feel alive for once.

She needed to feel lost. She needed to feel in control. She needed the million different and often contradictory emotions that came with putting your neck on the line.

Charlie would have not approved, that's for sure…

Perhaps it was the adrenaline high that had made her promise Jake she'd come back the following weekend… or perhaps it had been gratitude… Either way, from then on, the weekends belonged to Jake …

.

…

.

 _ **.-=[ Isabella Swan, 17. y.o the past]=-**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **Esme and Carlisle pov (after fetching Bella and puttign her to bed in the downstairs guestroom)** _

_._

It was getting late, closing in on eleven when Carlisle walked into the bedroom, cell phone in hand.

"Hey, you're awake," he said placing his phone on the dresser by the door. They had a no phone in bed rule, but he was allowed to bring it into the room, that was the compromise they'd reached. He did have on call duties quite regularly, after all. Not tonight though, he had the night off, well in theory anyway.

"I was waiting for you," Esme responded, closing her book, giving him her full attention. "You've been on the phone for a long time. What's the latest news? Any improvements?"

A grim look passed over her husband's features. "No, but that's not necessary bad news. It means she's hanging in there. That baby is a fighting to stay alive…she's a fighter all ready."

"So the plan is still to airlift her to Seattle in the morning, right?"

"If her condition allows for it. The helicopter will be ready to take off at sunrise. We'll have to keep our fingers crossed Dr. Campbell can give them a 'GO' this time..."

"Oh Carlisle… Between this and the other situation, I doubt I'll be getting much sleep tonight."

"The other situation? You mean our house guest?" he asked, taking off his Rolex and his glasses, placing both on the nightstand on his side of the bed.

"Yes, Isabella. She's resting now. Or trying to, anyway. I hope she can settle down, poor thing... She looked completely beat."

Esme fluffed up her pillow again and scooted back against it, before adding, "How often is too often to check on her? I mean, maybe not every hour, right? I know I'm being overly cautious here. She's not telling us the truth and there is something not adding up about what little she has told us... I suppose it's the Mother Hen in me that has me worried, but-..."

"No, I'm sensing it too. There is something not quite right here. I agree, we should keep an eye on her. Every third hour ought to do it." He took out his sleeping attire from one of his drawers and walked back to the bed.

"I can set an alarm and we can do it together, or we can take turns," he suggested, pulling his shirt over his head.

"I love you for offering, but I doubt it would go over well if she were to wake up and find you in her room. Even if your intentions are good, it can backfire drastically. It will be bad enough for her to find me there, but-…."

"Yeah, okay I get it. To this very day -and I've known her for almost a year now- she still flinches whenever I make a sudden movement near her. "

He paused to let his words sink in and to pull on his pyjama bottoms followed by the top.

"I understand that there is some sort of underlying issue there, one that you obviously can't tell me about."

Carlisle had to admit, he had been wondering about this for a while, but he wasn't going to push. He was, after all, very familiar with the Doctor-patient confidentiality concept.

"However," he continued. "I trust that you'd tell me if there was something important regarding her medical health that you thought I should know."

"What are you getting at?" she asked, patting on the bed to get him to com and sit down next to her.

"This afternoon, when you said you HAD to go into town and see Isabella in person and that you NEEDED me to come with you, I thought it was the possibility of a Benadryl slash alcohol overdose that had you worried. However, that wasn't the whole truth, now was it?"

"Eh… no, you're right. There was someth-… No, there IS something else," she said her voice somewhat distant. "Something that has been on my mind ever since I spoke with the girls this afternoon, before starting on dinner."

"I see, and what would that be? No wait! Hold that thought for a sec. Let me just pop into the bathroom real quick."

He slipped into the ensuite, peed, washed his face with cold water, and grabbed the electric toothbrush off the sink in quick succession.

"Please, go on," he encouraged his wife as he returned. "You said the girls said something that got you thinking…"

"Yeah, this is gonna sound silly, but… when I talked to Alice and Rosalie earlier today, when I asked if they knew anything in regards to the baby - or babies, I suppose - Rosalie wouldn't quite meet my eyes."

"You think she was lying to you? That she's holding something back?" he asked, knowing his wife had always been very good at reading body language — a skill she'd acquired after years of working in the mental health field.

"No, I think she was telling the truth, I just think it was the first time she really considered the possibility that the mother could be someone from around here, someone she went to school with last year. "

"So… you think she thought about it and she realized something…and then what….?"

"Rosalie, despite her hard exterior, is observant and sensitive by nature. When asked if they knew of anyone from school that could have been pregnant, I think her thoughts went to a 'certain someone' in her closest group of friends. I think she considered it for a second or two and then discarded the whole thing as improbable or something to that extent."

"Isabella?" His eyebrows rose in surprise. "That's who you're talking about, right? Why though? Because of the weight gain?"

"Oh, so you've noticed it too?"

"Well, yes, but I haven't seen anything resembling a distended belly -…" he started saying, but Esme interrupted him

"It's not just that though. I've been made aware that there's been some sort of boy drama recently. Obviously, both Rosalie and Alice know more about this than I do. I just know Isabella was seeing someone, on-and-off for a while. I'd call it 'casually dating', but I'm sure Alice would correct me, if she was here right now. 'No, it's called 'talking', mom – Talking." She said that last part mimicking her daughters voice.

"Teenagers and dating, " Carlisle snorted. "It's a LOT more complicated today than it was when we were kids."

"I know right? Since when is talking a relationship status anyway?" Esme shook her head.

"Did you know they even distinguish between different types of hookups? Seriously, you don't want me to repeat the things I heard from Emmett and Edward today…. "Carlisle rolled his shoulders as if shuddering.

"Ah… no, probably not," Esme agreed with him. "So like I said, I know Isabella has been seeing-… excuse me 'talking to', this kid named Jacob Black. That's the son of her father's long time friend William-…"

"Billy Black. Yes, I know who both Billy and his son Jacob are."

"According to Alice, Isabella and Jacob are on the 'outs' right now and she made it clear she hopes it stays that way, because apparently he hasn't been treating Bella right... at all."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but Es, the girls are seventeen and in high school, of course there is gonna be boy drama. That doesn't mean anything."

"I did tell you it was silly," she reminded him. "I have nothing real to go on here, just the general feeling that something isn't right. Call it instinct or gut feeling, or even insanity; but somehow I know this is something other than 'just' a case of food poisoning and you're nodding right now, because you're agreeing with me, aren't you?"

"You forget I don't know Isabella the way you do." Carlisle said slowly. He was still nodding though. "I can only assess what little I know from seeing and talking to her this evening."

"And..?"

"And what?"

"What's your assessment?"

"Isabella is showing signs of dehydration which would support her explanation that she's been vomiting excessively over a lengthy period of time. And yes, it could be something she ate. Isabella claims she started feeling ill within an hour of eating some dodgy egg salad wrap on her way over here for the party. Now that could very well be the truth. Honestly, at this point I can't rule it out, just like I can't rule out a good ole stomach flu, or novovirus-…"

"The novovirus is highly contagious though," Esme pointed out. "If none of the other kids are sick by tomorrow morning, then at least we know it's not a virus."

"That's true. As we've already discussed, her symptoms could also be drug related. She doesn't have the tell tale sluggish pupil reactions to light, though. Then again that could be explained by the fact that it's been quite a few hours since the party took place and since the symptoms first appeared…. But yes, mixing Benadryl with alcohol might not go down well, especially not for someone with a sensitive stomach."

"Did you ask the boys about the party and the missing Benadryl? Did they have anything to add?"

"I did, but I got nothing useful there." He shook his head

"And Isabella isn't likely to start talking. She made it very clear that she didn't want to talk about last night."

"I feel like we need to tread carefully with her. We're parents, but we're not HER parents-…"

"I know, I know… " Esme held her hands up in a helpless gesture. "We can't ask too personal questions and obviously, we can't force her to the ER-...

"Unless her condition worsens," Carlisle cut in. "There are a few other noteworthy things about this whole situation. I'm sure you're aware that the clinical signs of hypovolemia are quite similar to those of dehydration, right?"

"Yeah, but having a low blood volume is quite different from simply being a bit dehydrated though." Her brows were furrowed.

"Yes, but the symptoms are similar. Tachycardia, hypotension, pale skin, increased CRT, dizziness, faintness, nausea, thirst -…"

"In English, please."

"Tachycardia is a heart rate that exceeds the normal resting rate. Hypotension is low blood pressure. CRT is the rate of which the capillaries -the body's smallest blood vessels- refills with blood after having applied pressure to them-..."

"Oh, Carlisle!" She grabbed a hold of his arm. "You're saying Isabella is displaying all of these symptoms, aren't you?"

He nodded. "Testing the serum sodium concentration in her blood would be the best indicator for actual blood loss, but I can't do that test here, at home, and more importantly, it's not something that should be done without permission. "

"We need to get her to the ER, to rule this out, if nothing else."

"If her condition worsens , then yes, most definitely. For now though, the best we can do for her is to let her sleep and to keep checking on her regularly."

"I looked up the symptoms of Sepsis earlier," Esme admitted. "That's what we should be looking for right; Sepsis and Hypovolemic shock."

"Yes, but don't over-think this, Es. Isabella needs her rest more than anything else."

"But if she's the one-…"

"We still need to respect her privacy and personal space. No need to poke and prod at her, or even touch her. When you check on her, do it quietly and without waking her. You should be able to tell just by looking at her, if her condition has worsened. If you see anything suggesting she's running a fever, or if you notice any changes in her breathing pattern over the course of the night, then I want you to come get me. Honestly though, I don't think Isabella is the one we're looking for."

"Is that your professional opinion or your personal one?"

"How about both? When we were alone in the kitchen earlier, I asked her how bad it was and if she needed medical attention. She looked me straight in the eyes and said, 'No, I don't need medical attention, I'm fine.'"

"I hate to break it to you, but she's a teenager. Teenagers lie all the time about any number of things -mundane to serious- to any number of people, even doctors."

"I know that. She seemed very sincere though. She's an intelligent girl, she knew exactly what I was asking without me having top spell it out for her. I don't think it's her, but we're still going to observe her in the odd chance that I'm wrong."

"You better not be wrong - no, WE better not be wrong about this... Now, finish up and come to bed." Esme said, switching off the crystal table lamp on her nightstand.

"I'll be with you in a minute," he promised.

After that, all that was heard was the hum of the electric tooth brush for a while, as Carlisle went about finishing his nightly routine.

He almost thought that his wife had fallen sleep until she started talking again. "Did Edward really admit that he's been sneaking girls into his bedroom right under our noses?"

"Only one girl," Carlisle answered, though the toothpaste his mouth made it sound like he was choking.

"What was that?"

He spat out the foam into the basin of the sink, "Only one girl, but multiple times. He insists they ended things last spring though. Right before summer.."

"Aww… I don't know if I should be sad or relieved, hearing about this. Maybe a relationship is what he needs, you know?. God knows we've tried everything else to get him to open up…. Did he say who it was?"

"That would be no." Carlisle rinsed his mouth one last time, before returning to the bedroom. "And it's probably for the best if you don't ask him about it."

"I wasn't planning on it," he heard Esme say from her side of the bed. "Heavens forbids you try to talk about anything remotely related to feelings and emotions with that kid."

"He'll come around… He just needs time to grow up -you know make the usual mistakes and learn from them- before he can find can find himself and be truly happy." He slid into bed and inched towards her under the sheets. "Apples not falling far from the tree and all that."

"That's what I'm afraid of," she muttered under her breath.

"Hey, I heard that."

"Sorry." She pulled him close, burying her face in his chest. "At least he's smarter than the two of us put together. I hope that means the mistake he's bound to make, will only be half as bad as the ones we made."

"Amen to that!"

.

…

.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

 **.**

 **-=[ Isabella Swan, 17 y.o, - the past]=-**

 **.**

If asked to pinpoint the exact moment their odd friendship turned into something else, Bella would say it was the afternoon when Edward dropped everything to come rescue her from getting stuck in a bad, bad storm - both literally and figuratively.

What had started as a normal day had rapidly descended in to chaos and of course even the weather Gods were messing with her. If Edward hadn't showed up when he had, it could have easily ended in another breakdown of epic proportions.

.

….

.

It was the first week of January, school was still out and the entire town still had a holiday feel to it. Bella had been so relieved, getting through both Christmas and New Years without any major hiccups, but… if there was one thing she'd learned this afternoon it was there can be no letting your guards down. Ever.

She hadn't even noticed the car had stopped moving until Edward cleared his throat loudly, which caused her to flinch.

"What?" she snapped at him, forgetting momentarily that she was trying to act as if nothing was wrong. "Sorry, I was lost in thoughts," she rephrased, forcing her voice to stay level. "Did you say something?"

"In case you're confused, this is where you live." He jerked his head in the general direction of the house he'd pulled up in front of.

"I've brought you home. I've done my part, Swan. Time for you to do yours. This is where you get your depressed ass— sorry, your moody ass -out of my car and let me get on with my day," he informed her, turned in his seat to look at her with a pointed look. "I have stuff to get back too."

"Uhm, right…. Thank you Edward. I really mean that. I didn't have anyone else to call." She couldn't meet his eyes and pretended to be fiddling with the zipper of her hoodie as a cover for it.

The thing was; she knew he knew she had been crying. She cleared her throat; she hated the vulnerable feeling that crawled up and down her spine.

"I mean, Alice and Rosalie are out of town and Angie is off somewhere doing something with her parents. I even tried to get a hold of your brother before I called you, but he isn't home either…he's off with the football team doing some bike ride for brain cancer thing… but you already knew that seeing as he is your brother and you guys talk… all the time..." She knew she was rambling, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. "I guess I could have called Charlie to come get me, but he's at work, so… he'd probably end up sending out deputy Forge to get me, or something embarrassing like that… I'm gonna shut up now…. sorry."

Edward drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. "I can see how calling the Chief at work can be a bit awkward," he agreed. "I suppose it's comparable to when I call my dad, only get put on speaker phone by one of the nurses, because I've caught him mid-surgery… Awkward, I tell you… By the way, your dad's work schedule is seriously crazy. What's up with that? He is literally always working, isn't he?"

"The last two weeks, yes, pretty much," she answered, braving a glance over at Sue Clearwater's house. It was dark and quiet. No one seemed to be home. Good, no spying eyes for once.

"Even weekends and odd hours? I mean, he's the chief after all…."

"So?"

"So, shouldn't he get to pick his own shifts?"

"One of the officers broke his foot off duty, creating a staffing problem. There are a lot of shifts to cover and I suppose Charlie still has some catching up to do," she said, shrugging again. "That's what happens when you use up all your vacation days on fishing trips."

"Okay, got'ya," Edward responded. "So Chief Swan likes to go fishing…. Good for him."

"Yeah well, the problem is he hadn't calculated on having to take quite a bit of extra, unpaid, time off work when Renee-… when he was needed in Phoenix to sort out the legal stuff, that ultimately led to my arrival here."

"Renee?" Edward repeated the name as if it were a foreign term he was trying to interpret. "I assume that's your mom, right? And legal stuff? Were you in some kind of legal trouble?"

"She WAS my mom," she corrected him, not bothering to hide her irritation this time. "And by legal stuff, I'm talking about emergency court hearings. I wanted to live on my own while finishing high school, but that idea didn't fly with the involved authorities… They wanted to place me in some temporary emergency shelter home and the only one that could stop that from happening was my estranged father… But that's a long, boring story… and NO, I don't want to talk about it. I'm gonna leave now…"

She put a hand to the door handle, but didn't pull it open. She hesitated for a moment then put her hand to the door again.

Edward narrowed his eyes at her as if asking 'what's the hold up?'.

Bella felt she had to say something, anything, just to stop that penetrating stare.

"I'm not depressed." It wasn't what she'd intended to say; it was just what came out when she opened his mouth.

"I didn't say you were-…" he started, but she interrupted him.

"I mean, maybe I've been a tad bit depressed lately with this being the holiday season and all, but that's not why I was out walking on a lonely road in the middle of a hailstorm."

"Okay," he said simply, but then he added, "So what was the real the reason then? If you don't mind me asking…"

"I was with a friend, but we got into an argument and I didn't want to stay, so I started walking, but then the sky opened and … well, it got cold real fast once that rain turned into hail…. You can actually die from Hypothermia, you know?!"

"A friend, eh?" Edward responded after a second. "Seeing as you had me come almost all the way down to First Beach to pick you up, I already knew it had to be because of HIM. Black, right? You were with that asshat Jacob Black."

"Jake," she muttered. "He prefers Jake."

"I don't care what he prefers, if he made you cry he's an asshat."

"I wasn't crying," she objected, not caring if it was an immature claim. "I WAS not. It was just from being outdoors in this weather."

"Fine, you weren't crying," he agreed with an odd smirk-like expression on his face. "I get it. And your knuckles are not bruised at all. It's just the cold making them red."

"Wha-…?" She looked at her hand, only to realize he was right. The knuckles on her right hand were definitely red and swollen. "Oh, that… Err, that's nothing… Jake has one of those boxing sandbag thingies hanging in his room. His gloves are too big for me though, so I took them off… err... I shouldn't have messed with that thing in the first place… You know, me being 'accident prone' and all. "

"Uh-huh.. right," He didn't sound convinced. "The other hand is fine though. I'm sure one handed boxing is a thing somewhere, but that's not what you were doing, was it?"

"Whatever…I plead the fifth," she mumbled.

Edward barked out a laugh. "You hit Black, didn't you? I hope you clocked him good."

"He deserved it." She couldn't stop herself from saying. "It's like everything goes in one ear, out the other with him. He was being a dick and I'm tired of him being that way."

"Then, good for you." Edward's tone of voice changed. Hardened. "I know I, too, can be a total dickhead at times. I realize I don't have much room to speak here, but Swan, you shouldn't have to smack a guy around to get him to listen to you. That's not a healthy rela-..."

"Don't call it a relationship! He's not my boyfriend or anything," she interjected, even though, she knew, intellectually, it was just semantics. Friend or boyfriend – Jake should know her well enough to know when to back off.

"He isn't? Could have fooled me," Edward snorted. "Anyway, I'd go inside and ice those knuckles, if I were you. And Slugger, next time, try and remember to tuck your thumb in first before you strike."

"There is not going to be a next time, but thanks!" She dipped her head into a small bow to show her appreciation. "Me and Jake…We're not an item, but he wishes we were, and therein lays the problem," she surprised herself by admitting. "He'll cool down. He's not a bad guy, just a bit of a bit off a hothead and a braggart… you know, a bit busy being full of himself sometimes…"

"I see…" Edward's eyes narrowed for a second and then he gave her a slight nod as if dismissing her. "Just do what you have to do to stay safe, Swan. Now off you go. I'll see you in school on Monday…"

"Yeah… see you Monday…" she mumbled.

Just like before, she put her hand on the door handle with every intention of opening the door, and just like before she couldn't follow through.

"I… I can't do this."

"Do what?"

"The house…. I can't go in there, knowing I'll be alone all night. I just can't…" she choked, and wondered if she sounded as vulnerable as she felt at that moment. "I don't want to be alone tonight."

"Damn it, Swan!" Edward swore loudly, slamming the steering wheel with both hands. "I'm done being nice. I'm done toe-stepping around this. What the hell did that punk do to you?!"

.

…

.

 _ **AN:/ No, he didn't rape her, but something happened… something she wasn't comfortable with. TBC…**_


	42. Chapter 42

**.**

 **-=[ Isabella Swan, 17 y.o, - the past]=-**

 **.**

 **Chapter 42**

.

Edward's pov

.

…

.

Edward's legs grew numb as he pushed himself the final few strides up the driveway. Breathless, he pulled his buds out of his ears and checked the time and stats on the running app on his phone. This morning he was averaging 11 minutes per mile, way off his normal pace. His head felt clearer though and the last lingering traces of yesterday's hangover had been reduced to a dull ache at the base of his skull.

He hadn't slept much, of course. No surprises there. In fact, he had known that would be the case from the moment he'd laid his head on the pillow. There had been way too many thoughts crowding his mind for him to even attempt anything resembling sleep. What HAD surprised him though, was just how strong the urge to sneak on over to the main house had been. What was up with that?!Was it voodoo? Black magic? Or a witch's spell?

Okay, fine, so there was no denying there had been some sort of magnetic pull going on there in the past. Past urges were just that though – urges in the past. He shouldn't be drawn to Bella Swan still. That notion was just ridiculous.

No, there would be no slipping back into those old, good-for-nothing habits. He had no wish to speak with her and he definitely wasn't going to go over there to watch her sleep.

There was no need for him to waste thoughts or energy on the well-being of Bella Swan. He was sure his father had the situation under control. Also, he wasn't going to give his brother right about this…. He did not care about that girl… not even a little…

After lying sleepless most of the night, he'd gotten up before the first ray of light touched the horizon. He'd put on his running shoes with the intention to try and gather his jumbled thoughts with a jog. This strategy had, of course, only been semi-successful, he concluded as he turned the corner behind the garage, which marked the end of his route. His thoughts were still a jumbled mess, but at least the fresh air had helped with the headache.

Wiping the sweat off his face with his sleeve, Edward began his warm down, with some simple leg stretches. However, before he could get very far his stomach interrupted him by growling loudly, demanding to be fed. This had him realizing he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday's lunch, which had been a minimal one. Emmett had been trying to get him to try some foolproof hangover remedy consisting of raw unbeaten egg, vinegar and extra greasy bacon. However, the mere thought of egg and bacon, had made Edward want to puke up his liver.

Thankfully, the queasy feeling was entirely gone by now and Edward wanted to dance a victory jig all the way to the kitchen. Instead of dancing though, he decided to complete his post-jog routine.

Half an hour later he was showered and dressed and finally ready to venture over to the house to get some food into his system. It was still early hours. So much so, that he hoped no one would be up yet. Well, no one expect his mother perhaps, who was an early bird by nature.

Someone was already in the kitchen that much was clear. He could smell pancakes baking all the way from the front door. However, as Edward stepped over the threshold he was surprised to find none other than his lazy ass brother manning the pots and pans by the stove. That was a bit unexpected…

"What are you doing up? Did you fall out of bed and hit your head or something?" Edward asked as he sauntered into the room.

"Morning love," Emmett replied turning to grin at him. "Why so surprised? Even I think it's nice to get up bright and early every once in a while."

"Sure, but 'early' by your standards usually mean you'll roll out of bed around lunchtime."

"I made the mistake of letting Rosalie set the alarm last night and she wants us to be all packed up and ready to leave at -I think she said eight- the latest … Anyway, I was too famished to fall asleep again after she got up. I could eat a cow right about now… or a monster steak… These pancakes are just a snack as I await the main course ."

"I think I'll have to pass on the steak for now," Edward commented, shaking his head. "Too early in the morning… I'll settle for something a little easier on the digestive system." He then motioned towards the fridge. "I'm just gonna grab something real quick and be on my way."

"Is Jaz picking you up, or are you planning on walking, or something?"

"No, why-... Oh snap!," Edward groaned. He'd forgotten the whole 'no car thing'. He was not particularly looking forward to having to share car with his darling sister. Ugh… seriously, walking didn't feel that bad of an idea; it wasn't actually that long of a walk and he-…

"Oh snap, indeed," his brother interrupted his train of thoughts with a bit of a smirk. "Come on, you might as well sit your ass down and have some coffee. There have been no sightings of Alice yet. I know you don't like to eat with us lesser mortals, but it's gonna be a while before your chauffeur is ready… You know how it is; just blow drying her hair takes her an hour and a half. "

"What about the others?" Edward asked as he plunked himself down on the barstool by the kitchen island. "Where is mom? Surely, she's not still in bed? Did she leave with dad? My Volvo is gone and I heard a car earlier, so I assume he got called in to work early, or something…"

"I think dad is at work, yes. I haven't seen him," Emmett answered and the proceeded to pull a large mug out of one of the cabinets."And Mom has been up and awake for hours too. She already had the pancake batter started when I walked in here earlier. She was in the middle of a phone call though and it seemed kind of important, so I offered to take care of the pancakes. I think she went up to her office. She should be back soon-ish…."

Edward watched as Emmett first filled the mug with coffee, and then held it out for him to take. However, just as he reached for it, Emmett pulled back, wagging a finger in a no-no motion. "Come on, it's not mom and dad you want to know about, now is it? You can ask about her. I won't give you a hard time about it."

"Who? The Ice queen? I assume she's lurking around as usual. It seems to be a spatiality of hers; eavesdropping on conversations, not intended for her ears."

Emmett's only response was to raise an eyebrow - eloquently communicating that he wasn't gonna be that easily fooled.

"What?" Edward asked when nothing else followed.

"You want this coffee while it's still hot?" Emmett asked, pulling the coffee mug even farther away from him.

"No, I prefer my coffee cold," Edward snapped, irritation seeping into his voice. "Just hand it over already…"

"All you have to do is ask."

"Can I have my Coffee now? Please and thank you…." Edward grumbled.

"That's not what I meant and you know it. Come on, ask me how Swan is doing this morning. You know you want to-…"

"No, I don't. I couldn't care less," Edward objected, but then sighed, "Fine… What can you tell me? Have you've seen her this morning? Wait, has she left already? Was that the car I heard? Did dad take her with him to work, or something? "

 _Oh, he hadn't even considered that possibility._

"You ask a lot of questions for someone who supposedly doesn't care…" Emmett teased, as he finally set the mug down on the island in front of Edward.

Edward flipped his brother the middle finger. "Whatever… Just tell me already," he said, making a conscious effort to keep his voice as devoid of emotion as he could.

"She's still here. Mom has checked on her a couple of times throughout the night. Your little Swan hasn't gotten much real sleep it seems. Loads of tossing and turning… No more vomiting though. So that's good, I suppose. I've been instructed that we're not to disturb her, unless she wakes up and comes out here on her own accord… Dad wants her to drink more of that orange rehydration stuff and she needs to eat something – even if it's just toast… I think they expect her to spend the day in bed though. "

"She's lucky then, I wouldn't mind staying home from school today," Edward sighed, taking a big swig from the thankfully still sizzling hot beverage. "You think mom would let me?"

"Ha, no way José," Emmett laughed and then turned his attention back to the stove to flip the now nearly burnt pancake. "You heard her last night – Son, unless you're dying-…"

"... I don't want to hear it," Rosalie chimed in as she appeared behind them.

"No self-inflicted headache will get you out of this one," Rosalie continued, mimicking Esme's words and 'no-nonsense' tone of voice she'd used the night before when Edward had attempted to get excused from the dinner table.

Then, speaking in her normal voice, she asked Emmett, "How are the pancakes coming along, babe? Do you need some help?"

"Have some faith in me, woman. I know what I'm doing."

"It doesn't smell that way. Something's burning." Hip checking Emmett out of the way, she picked up the spatula to inspect the pancake currently in the pan. "The pan is too hot."

"Shoo! I've got it under control."

"Alright, but you know the rule…You burn them, you eat them," she declared, returning the spatula to Emmett.

"You think that'll discourage him? I've seen him charcoal-burnt food remains on more than one occasion," Edward snorted.

"Oh my... Someone's sounding grumpy this morning," Rosalie shot back turning around to give him a proper once over, "You're looking a bit rough around the edges. Did you not sleep well, Eddie?"

"Awww, give him a break," Emmett offered in his brothers defense, when Edward merely rolled his eyes.

"Obviously, he's spent the entire night sitting bolt upright in bed, "Emmett continued. "You know, out of fear of falling asleep and having Jessica Stanley come haunt him in his dreams… "

"Serves him right for encouraging the poor girl in the first place," Rosalie said with a little shake of her head. "I bet school today will be interesting. I'm almost disappointed I won't be there to see it."

"School will be fine," Edward responded flatly. "I'll treat her like I always have; like air. She's annoying, but not stupid. She'll get the message…"

"Alright, good luck with that. It would probably do you good to stay clear of Tanya as well. I'm still not quite sure what her agenda is, but-..."

"But nothing. I'm done with her. The other night was obviously a mistake. I have no interest in Tanya Denali what so ever. And there is no one else I can see myself with either. Consider me happily celibate from now on."

"Congratulations, " Rosalie snorted, amused. "That sounds like a very wise decision considering your track record."

"See, I told you, Rose," Emmett leaned forward and stage whispered dramatically. "He's not still hung up on all that err…. other stuff… with, you know, that other girl."

Edward didn't miss the wink Emmett had given his girlfriend. Now, they were just messing with him, trying to get a rouse out of him.

It didn't surprise him that Rosalie seemed to be catching on where Emmett was going with this straight ahead.. Those two obviously didn't keep many secrets from one another.

"What other girl? Oh, you mean THAT other girl, the one he won't even admit to liking in the first place," she responded, while studying her nails with wide, innocent eyes.

"I told you, us Cullen men don't waste time on hard heavy stuff, like emotions and feelings," Emmett said crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh, silly me, of course you don't…" Rosalie was smirking now, like she found the whole thing oh so amusing.

"Haha, that's funny coming from you, 'McCarthy'," Edward responded, keeping his voice calm and indifferent.

"Thanks, I thought so myself. And it's McCarthy-Cullen, mind you… "

"That's not what your passport says," Edward shot back.

"A technicality. You wound me. I thought we were brothers," Emmett said, faking a hurt look.

"So did I, but apparently I can't tell you anything without getting mocked and ridiculed, so…"

"Oh, this reminds me. You're still holding back on me, Mr. I-don't-do- girlfriends," Emmett pointed out jokingly. However, there was a serious undertone to his voice as he continued. "You still haven't told me how you and B went from barely tolerating each other, to jumping each other's bones."

"Not a particularly interesting story to tell and frankly that's none of your business."

"Come one. Let's be serious here for a sec. I consider Bella Swan a friend of mine. I like this girl. I need to know you haven't been… like taking advantage of her, or treating her badly, or anything like that."

"WHAT?!" Edward spluttered around a mouthful of coffee.

"Emmett," Rosalie cautioned. "I don't think now is the time-…"

"No, let me speak," he insisted. "I know you, Eddie. I know you're not manipulative or shady like some of the guys around this neck of the woods. The thing is though, you always do this thing where you try and intimidate new people, especially girls, into thinking you're oh-so badass, just to get them to stay out of your way. She's still the new girl around here and I need to know you haven't been playing your usual mind games with her-.."

"First of all she's been here a year already… I think it's time everyone stops calling her the new girl."

"Fine, but you know what I mea-…"

"Secondly, I only use my asshole-y reputation to scare people off as something of a last resort. I just want to be left the F alone. How hard can it be to take a hint?! But, whatever, it's kind of irrelevant here. You and I both know Swan isn't that easily intimidated, or manipulated. So what exactly is it that you're accusing me of?"

Eyebrows raised, Emmett held his hands up in a surrendering position. "As long as you promise you didn't coerced her into doing something she didn't want to do. … That's all I need to hear, really."

"What makes you so sure I was the driving force and she was the one that needed to be talked into it? Maybe she jumped at the chance of having a secret tryst with someone she knew her father wouldn't approve of …"

"I can see her getting a thrill out of something like that. Their relationship always struck me as kind of weird," Rosalie hummed.

"Wait, hold up! So you're saying she was all about the thrill and the secrecy?" Emmett asked, his brows furrowed. "She was using you?! That doesn't sound like the Bella I know."

"It was a mutual arrangement that we both benefitted from. I guess in some ways we were using each other," Edward sighed. This conversation was effectively spoiling his appetite. "Also, how well do you really know her? I mean, it's not like she talks a lot about herself and what's going on in her life, you know…"

"Man, I hate being confused this early in the morning…" Emmett complained, rubbing his temples.

"What's there to be confused about? I'm just saying things aren't always what they seem."

"Okay, but answer me this, if she was the driving force, does that mean she made the first move?"

"It wasn't like that. No one made the first move, it just… happened. "

"You're just saying that to get out of having to talk about it," Rosalie butted in.

"Fine, remember when Swan first started coming around here to hang out with Alice after school? You didn't find it strange she would only stay a couple of hours at a time? Or that she would only come by if she knew mom and dad were out of the house? She got gutsier with time obviously… but what I'm trying to say here is that that she-…"

"She didn't really come to see Alice," Rosalie finished the sentence for him.

"I suppose you could say she was killing two birds with one stone. But yes, more often than not, she would end up on my doorstep."

"I should have known something fishy was going on," Rosalie said clearly a bit annoyed she'd missed it. "She was always acting so skittish."

"I just figured she was restless," Emmett shrugged. "But I guess horny is more like it…."

Edward shook his head. "Honestly, I don't think it was my fine company she was craving. Not in the beginning anyway. "

 _"_ Wha-.. Oooh, gotcha!." Rosalie snorted, as she seemed to be putting the pieces together,

"I'm not sure I'm following," Emmett whined. "What am I missing?"

"Weed, Em. He's saying she came to him for the mellowing powers of his stellar 'dope'."

"I'm saying Swan likes weed as much as the next girl, but with her dad being who he is… Let's just say it's been a bit tricky for her to find a place where she could be herself and enjoy those kinds of 'mellowing' treats. "

"And who better to turn to, then someone with a reputation of being a bit badass and a major asshole. Someone who isn't looking for popularity, or money -…"

"Why thank you Rosalie. I didn't know you thought of me that highly," Edward interrupted her.

"Come on, surely B must know by now that the badass attitude is mostly just a facade, right?" Emmett laughed. "I mean scratch the surface and you'll find an emo nerdy geek, whose biggest enjoyments in life include jamming on his piano and playing video games… a homebody, a loner-…"

"…a neurotic germaphobe," Rosalie supplied helpfully.

"Yes, I'm sure by now she must be well aware that I am all of those things, thank you very much," Edward snapped, rolling his eyes. "Bella is a smart girl… It didn't take her long to figure out that Newton's weed was rank while mine wasn't. So she came to me-.."

"Wait, Edward," Rosalie cut in. "What exactly are you saying here? Because it's beginning to sound like you were offering Bella weed in exchange for sexual favors..."

"HELL NO. I'd never do anything like THAT," Edward huffed looking at his brother for support. "Come on tell her…"

"I don't know, man… This sounds suspicious even in my ears!"

"No listen, Bella tried to pump Alice for information and I don't think she would have stopped there. I sure as hell didn't want Swan going around school asking the wrong questions, to the wrong people, if you get what I mean…?"

"So you bribed her to stop her form sticking her nose in places it shouldn't be stuck?" Emmett said as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Well…. I may have asked one other thing of her in return. Nothing bad," he hurried to add, when he saw Rosalie narrow her eyes at him."You know how Alice was practically stalking Swan in her effort to befriend 'the new girl'?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well consider this scenario-if Swan, in her quest for good weed, were to start socializing in the wrong circles, then by extension Alice would have been back moving in those circles too."

"Oooh, I see where you're going with this. We want Alice to stay far, far away from that whole click of people," Emmett said, nodding in visible satisfaction. This apparently was an explanation that made sense.

"Exactly," Edward continued. "I sort of suggested to Swan that I thought it was a good idea for her to try and get to know Alice a little better. I also kind of hinted that she would be 'rewarded' for her efforts on that front"

"Wow, you're just digging yourself in deeper and deeper. You bribed the girl to be nice to Alice? Your sister will kill when she hears about this!"

"I'm not planning on telling her and you won't either. I mean, that would totally ruin a good thing. Those two genuinely get along now and have become the best of friends."

"My mind is blown…" Emmett shook his head. "Were where I when this all went down? How did I miss this?"

"Well, think about it, bro. This was at the start of your senior year … You were too busy sucking face with your girlfriend to notice much of anything around you."

"Right…. I remember now. Those were the days," Emmett said wiggling his eyebrows at his girlfriend.

"Concentrate, honey! Eddie still haven't told us how it turned into sex," Rosalie pointed out, like the smart-ass she was. "Because in my ears it still sounds like a very uneven, one-sided arrangement, that turned physical," Rosalie was shaking her head.

"I've already told you guys, it was a mutual thing. That's all you need to know. The attraction was there from the beginning. I mean, egos were clashing for sure, but there were also sparks flying, so…. the step wasn't really that far. For the record though, in the beginning I wouldn't even let Swan inside when she came knocking on my door. I'd light up a joint and we'd sit outside on the stairs, talking while taking turns smoking-…"

"Taking turns? As in swapping something covered in saliva, back and forth, between the two of you?" Emmett questioned. "Where is my brother, and what have you done with him?"

Before Edward had a chance to respond, Rosalie asked, "So what changed? Obviously, you she made her way inside your bedroom at some point…"

"What changed? The weather for starters. I didn't feel like freezing my ass off and neither did she."

"So…. you were like 'You look cold, let's move this party inside', and she was like 'Sure why not? Hey, maybe we should have sex while we're at it'?" Rosalie sounded skeptical.

Edward shook his head. "She called me out of the blue one afternoon asking for a favor. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a complete asshole, so I did the whole knight in shining armor thing and came to her rescue. Afterwards she didn't want to be alone. We hung out in my car for a bit, but it made more sense to take her to my place."

"What do you mean you came to her rescue? What did she do? Lock herself out of her house, or something?" Rosalie asked.

"No, she had gotten herself into a bit of a situation and needed someone to come pick her up, but no one was answering her calls. Her dad was working; she couldn't reach any of her friends. I believe you and Alice were with mom in Seattle over the weekend…"

"I remember that. Esme took us on a shopping trip. Bella was invited too, but she didn't want to go. Said it reminded her too much of her mom, or something like that," Rosalie's eyes narrowed as she said this. "She's been using that excuse a lot, coming to think of it."

"Yeah, well… She sounded strange on the phone," Edward continued. "It took a while to get the full story out of her, but I just knew something was off."

"What do you mean? Off how?"

"Well, just the fact that it was a Saturday afternoon, got med suspicious. She usually never contacted me, or came around the house on the weekends, because of the risk of having to socialize with mom and dad, I guess. Turns out, this particular Saturday she'd been spending time with that asshat she nowadays calls her boyfriend..."

"Ah, Black - your all time favorite person," Emmett nodded. Then he added to himself under his breath. "Things make much more sense now…"

Edward decided to pretend he hadn't heard that comment. "Basically she needed someone to come pick her up after having walked out on Black, following into a nasty little spat with the guy. Like I said, she didn't want to be alone. She needed a place to stay for a few hours until her dad got off his shift. So, I took her to my place, yes inside my bedroom, where we hung out for a bit and watched a few movies, while I tried to coax the truth about what had really happened out of her. Anyway… after that afternoon, it seemed kind of ridiculous to not allow her over the threshold to my bedroom-… "

"Right, but why didn't she want to be alone?" Rosalie interrupted. "What did Jake do to piss her off? Was he trying to get handsy with her?"

"Not my story to tell, but…. here's a hint for you; this was the same weekend Bella hurt her hand and ended up with bruised knuckles. You think it was a coincidence that Black was walking around for days afterwards with a shiner?"

"I knew it! I never liked the guy," Rosalie exclaimed. "So what happened? Do I need to crush his balls like two walnuts next time I see him?"

"Get in line," Emmett growled, hitting his fist in the palm of his other hand. "I've got first dibs." Then, he seemed to realize something. "Wait, this was like last year… I'm assuming you already took care of it, Eddie."

"Trust me, nothing would have given me greater pleasure than beat the shit out of that loser. Bella wouldn't let me do that though, she didn't want her father to know. She didn't want this to ruin the relationship between the two families, or some stupid shit like that. Also, she was embarrassed afterwards. She felt she had overreacted. It was just a boob grab after all, no big deal - her words not mine…. "

"So, a boob grab and the little fucker got away with it?" Rosalie asked. "I mean, she still sees him. They hang out-…"

"Yeah, wait till you hear the rest," Edward ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "The bastard claimed it was all a misunderstanding. He thought she was encouraging him to continue, which is bullshit of course. She wasn't even fully awake!"

"WHAT?!" Emmett roared. "He groped her while she was asleep? That's almost like-.."

"Attempted-rape, or something…I'm with you there. If you can't distinguish between sleep noises, and 'Oh-feels-good-please-continue' noises then you should have your head checked, not just that but -… " Edward had to stop mid-sentence when suddenly he heard someone came barging down the stairs.

For a split second he thought it was Bella coming after him for opening his mouth about something he had promised to keep to himself. It wasn't Bella though, it was his mother.

"Sorry… sorry…. "Esme apologized as she appeared on the doorstep. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I'm running a bit late here, is all."

Three heads turned to look at her.

"But now that I have your attention," she continued. "Can one of you kids do me a favor? I need help finding a phone charger, mine seem to have gone missing... again."

Rosalie was the first one to recover. "You've got the speaker dock over there. That should do it," she suggested, pointing her towards where the device sat on the kitchen counter. "Oh and put it in flight mode that way it will charge faster."

"Brilliant! Thanks!" Esme said, fiddling with her phone. When she finally had it placed securely in the dock, she turned around again.

"So… what were you kids talking about when I walked in?"

"Oh nothing, we're just…. talking," Emmet told her, attempting a nonchalant shrug.

"So you do remember how to talk face to face? I was wondering about that actually, seeing as it's been quite a while since either one of you came to me for a little chat," Esme said teasingly, which had both Edward and Emmett groaning in unison.

.

…

.


	43. Chapter 43

**.**

 **-=[ Isabella Swan, 17 y.o, - the past]=-**

 **.**

 **Chapter 43**

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Edward's pov

.

…

.

…

.

The Cullen's kitchen was in a buzz, as it so often was in the mornings. Breakfast (consisting of some questionable looking pancakes) was had and lively discussions were held.

Edward didn't pay much attention to what was said or going on around him. Several times he caught himself staring into his coffee unable to fully concentrate. His mind kept going back to stuff he did not even want to remember, but couldn't seem to escape from. He wished he could erase the past weekend, and just redo it -or past year, even.

Suddenly, something broke through his muddled thoughts - a movement in his peripheral vision. His head snapped up, just as someone stepped into the kitchen. No, he corrected himself. Not someone – Bella. There in the doorway, stood a fully clothed and composed, Bella Swan.

All chatter died down and it was completely silent until Emmett spoke up. "Hey, little Swan, what are you doing up?" he asked in a surprised, high-pitched voice.

"Uhm… I heard noises," she responded, her voice sounding a little hesitant at the end.

"Sorry sweetie, did we wake you?" Esme asked, her head popping up from behind the refrigerator door. "Oh, you're dressed," she added, as she took in the girl's appearance.

"Well, yeah… I don't want to go to school naked," Bella mumbled, taking a few tripping steps into the room. "I hope it's okay I borrowed these," she added, gesturing towards her outfit. "They were on the dresser so… eh, I figured you'd left them there for me to use…right?"

It took Edward a second to realize she was probably referring to the fact she was wearing what must be one of his mother's signature pastel colored, fluffy looking sweaters. A pair of black, shimmery leggings, or tights, or whatever the heck they were called, completed the look.

The clothes looked weird on her - Bella didn't' quite look like Bella when she wasn't in one of her usual slightly retro grunge inspired school outfits. Light colors and pastels simply weren't her thing.

Esme seemed to deem this new look perfectly acceptable though, as she was quick to respond. "Yeah, I wasn't sure if you packed any clothes, so I picked out a few items I thought you'd like. That being said though, you're NOT going to school today, Miss 'I-was-sick-all-day-yesterday'."

Bella looked almost surprised hearing this. "Wha-? Why… I mean, I have to go to school!"

"You don't HAVE to do anything, sweetie," Esme said as she closed the fridge. "You've got a fun day of chilling in bed and doing absolutely nothing to look forward to. Don't worry about school. It's fine. I've already cleared it with your father. Actually, I'm jetting off to meet up with him right now, so I'll tell him you'll check in with him in a few hours."

"You don't understand. I can't miss school today," Bella protested with a hint of alarm in her voice. "The new P.E. teacher is already talking about flunking me and the semester just started. I've got to complete and hand in three written assignments for the classes I've missed the last couple of weeks."

"Oh, well I can speak with him, if you like? Coach Wilson, is it? Clearly you shouldn't be in school today."

"NO, please don't! That will only make it worse. He's such a di- jerk," Bella caught herself. "Sorry, I know he's a teacher and has every right to decide what rules to enforce… but like… he's being completely unreasonable."

"Unreasonable? How so?" Esme asked with a furrowed brow.

"P.E. isn't my favorite subject to begin with and my leg still hasn't healed 100%, so I can't really participate much. He's just being a complete di-… jerk about it."

"Still sounds quite reasonable in my ears, Isabella. Exercise is good for both body and mind and you can't keep skipping classes. You need to talk to your teacher and figure out how you can get your attendance up. I'm sure you can reach a compromise. There are many types of exercise that could work for you - Pilates, strength training-…"

"Yeah, but this guy just doesn't get that not everyone can do every exercise out there. He just thinks I'm lazy for no good reason and-… "

"Coach Wilson is a major dick head that's all there is too it," Edward heard himself cut in.

 _Crap! He hadn't meant to interfere. He was supposed to be indifferent to anything this girl said or did. Why was that so hard to remember_?

"Edward, language. Please," his mother said, giving him a stern look.

"Sorry. But it's true," he muttered. "Not a class goes by without this guy yelling 'If you don't break a sweat it's not a workout!' at the top of his lungs. He's a bully and a tyrant who doesn't know when to quit. I never thought, I'd say this, but I miss Coach Clapp...even if he was a bit of a perv at times."

"Not just a bit, Clapp was a TOTAL perv," Emmett guffawed with amusement from the other side of the table, "Remember that time he was caught peeping on-…"

"Okay, that's enough. Boys, I'd appreciate it if could keep your comments to yourself," Esme hurried to take charge of the conversation again, before it could devolve further.

"Isabella, like I said before, I can have a word with your teacher for you. Or I could have Carlisle write you a signed doctor's note, if you think that's a better approach. Perhaps your teacher simply isn't aware of the extent of your leg injury. He is new and only just started this semester … And if he still doesn't want to listen, we'll take it to the principal-.."

"No, no, don't bother. It's fine. If I don't deal with this myself, the rest of the year will be just awful," Bella hurried to object. "I just want to hand in the assignments and be done with it. Please!"

"I'm sorry, but you haven't even been symptom free for 48 hours yet, so there is not even anything to discuss here. Rules are rules…"

"At my old school the rule was that you had to stay home 24 hours after you'd been sick, not 48," Bella argued, her chin set stubbornly. "I know I'm a guest in your house and I mean no disrespect, but this is just silly. I feel a lot better this morning and it's not like I'm asking permission to run a marathon, I just want to go to school. "

She did look a little better; Edward had to give her that. A little less pale, though he couldn't be sure how much of that was the hair and the clothes and the makeup. He would have to side with his mom on this one though, mostly because he knew germs were nasty little creatures. Take Staph germs for example, they can survive five days on bed linen, six weeks on computer keyboards and eight weeks on artificial fingernails and-…. No wait! he wasn't siding with anyone, because he didn't care…. one way or another. And besides, he was going to be keeping a healthy distance from Swan anyway… She could keep whatever germs she carried to herself!

While Edward was busy wrestling internally with himself, his mother went on explaining to Bella that 24 hours would be the absolute minimum, but that most medical professionals recommended to wait 48 hours.

Bella pointed out that food poisoning wasn't even contagious to begin with and that her Mom always let her decide these things for herself.

Esme was beginning to look a bit pressed for time. "I don't want to get into a long discussion about this," she said, grabbing her purse off the counter. "Stay home today, get some rest… school will still be there tomorrow and the next day...and the next day... And you will NOT flunk P.E, I promise."

"Please!" Bella pleaded. "Just a few hours…I just need to get those assignments completed and handed in. I can go home after lunch and rest all afternoon."

She looked utterly determined. Edward could see her fingers turning white, where they gripped the kitchen counter tightly. Clearly, giving in now was not an option.

"I've got Creative Writing first thing in the morning and then 'study' second block, so that should take care of it. I-.."

"Haven't you heard? No, first class today," Alice interrupted as she breezed into the kitchen. "It's been canceled."

She stopped in front of Rosalie, handing over what looked to be a torture device, or a curling iron. "Here Ro. It was on the dresser underneath a sweater. I knew I had seen it somewhere. "

"What do you mean canceled?" Bella asked, sounding confused.

"Cancelled as in taken off the schedule. In its place there is this mandatory morning assembly thingy that the entire school is expected to attend. The police will be there to brief us about …well, 'recent' events and stuff," Alice explained, taking a swig of orange juice out of a glass on the counter. "Actually, I believe your dad is in charge of the whole-... Eww!" she suddenly cut herself short, whirling around to spit out a mouthful of juice into the sink.

"Which one of you losers put salt in the juice?!" She demanded to know, hands coming to her hips in a gesture of annoyance.

"Do you even have to ask?" Edward said with a shake of his head. At this point Emmett began laughing; he'd never been particularly good at keeping a straight face.

"You, stay in your ringside," Esme hurried to intervene, putting an arm in front of Alice before she could storm over and rip her brother's head off.

"But mom…."

"Remember darling, revenge is best served cold. There is more juice in the fridge." She turned Alice around and sent her back towards the refrigerator. "I have to leave now, or I'm gonna be late. Emmett, behave yourself!"

"Of course, Mom. I always behave, just not necessarily well."

"Rosalie, you're the most mature one here, so I'll be leaving you in charge," Esme continued. "I've got a few instructions before I go; I'd like to see Bella eat something—preferably toast - and drink some more Pedialyt. It's in the box on the counter, next to the coffee maker."

"Okay," Rosalie agreed with a nod.

"Isabella, I still wish you'd stay in bed and take it easy today. You've made some good points though. Let's see how breakfast goes, okay? Obviously, you're not going anywhere if you can't keep food and fluids down…. Oh and I almost forgot, I should check your temperature. No going to school if you're running a fever. Come here!" She reached out a hand and gently laid it on Bella's forehead.

Bella's eyes widened at the contact. You could tell that her instinct reaction was to back away, but then she seemed to think better of it.

"No fever," Esme said after a few seconds. "Excellent, now sit down and have some breakfast."

"I really am fine, but I appreciate the concern," Bella mumbled, making her way over to the chair Rosalie had pulled out for her.

"If you do end up going to school - and we're talking half day here, no point in overdoing it - I expect to see you attending the assembly. No skipping that part…And that goes for all of you." Esme paused to give her twins a stern look, before turning back to Bella. "I'll give you a ride home around noon. Just wait for me by the school nurse's office and I'll be around to pick you up as soon as I can, alright?"

"You don't have to do that. Don't change your schedule around me I can-…"

"It's fine, dear," Esme assured her, with a smile. "I only have two things on my schedule today, the first one is speaking at the assembly alongside with your father, and then afterwards, I have a meeting with representatives from the school administration and the board. After that I'm free to go home again. So schedule-wise it all works out perfectly."

"Oh, that's… good."

"It's convenient, that's what it is. I'm not gonna lie to you, the only reason I'm even considering allowing this, is because I'm going to be in close proximity to you all morning, so if anything happens-… Wait, that reminds me," she said, picking up her phone again. "I have to set this on mute mode, but you can text me if you need anything. That goes for all of you, obviously, and-… Oh, shi-… shoot. Look at the time! I REALLY need to be on my way."

She waved a quick goodbye, before rushing towards the door, stopping only to give Emmett one last hug.

"Remember to give your mother a call every once in a while. Now drive carefully and be safe! Protection is your friend… "

"Mom," Emmett groaned, the tips of his ears pink.

"That's right. I'm not talking about sun block here…" Esme called over her shoulder, rushing out to her car.

.

…

.

The morning had been slow and boring so far, and waiting for Bella to finish her breakfast was like waiting for paint to dry. Unfortunately for everyone, Alice had decided they all had to stay put to watch the spectacle.

'There is no rush Bella, take your time,' she would repeat every ten seconds or so, which, perhaps, wasn't the best approach as it was adding to everyone's stress levels...

Bella had started with the Pedialyt, followed by lots of weak hot tea, before moving on to preparing for the main course by buttering up that one slice of toast she had agreed she would try and eat. It was a painstakingly slow process, but for some inexplicable reason, she was still hell bent on making it to school.

Edward felt like he was dying from boredom, but every time he would open his mouth, or as much as indicate he wanted to leave, Emmett would give him one of his knowing looks. This, of course, had Rosalie smirking like this was the funniest damn thing she'd ever seen.

No way Edward would give them the satisfaction of knowing any of this affected him. He would stay to the very end and he would do so while acting appropriately indifferent and aloof!

By the time Bella was finally gotten to the part where she was actually chewing the bread, Edward had to bite his tongue to keep from snapping at her to hurry the f-up and take bigger bites.

'That's not how you do indifferent', he had to remind himself. 'It's not that hard, Cullen; no looking, no talking, no acknowledging that she is even in the room…'

He even have to put much effort into it, seeing as Bella was already going to great lengths to treat him like he didn't exist, which… well, it wasn't actually a new thing, come to think of it. They had kind of been playing a game of civil avoidance all summer, so yeah, nothing new there… Nothing new, except it was kind of bugging him that she wouldn't even look at him this morning. Why was she treating him like air all of a sudden?

'That's Karma for you,' his conscience chuckled at him.

 _Okay, fair enough…_

Checking the time on his phone, he stifled a sigh. Would this miserable morning never end?

 _._

 _.._

 _._

13 minutes later and Swan was finally done.

 _Hallelujah!_

"You know full well I get pee shy and can't go if there are people around," she complained, as the three girls piled out of the kitchen.

Apparently Rosalie had decided to take her responsibilities very seriously even after that very last piece of toast was gone. She even went as far as insisting on tagging along to the bathroom afterwards. Unsurprisingly, Bella wasn't liking that suggestion one single bit.

"Yeah, but how else will I know that your breakfast won't make a reappearance?" Rosalie argued with her.

"You could just take my word for it," Bella fired back. "I mean, what if I need to put in a tampon, you gonna stay and watch that too?"

WTF! Eww… Edward didn't stick around to hear the end of that conversation. Instead, he hurried his steps in to opposite direction, relieved to finally be able to make his escape from this madness.

Once outside, he made yet another fruitless attempt to get a hold of Jasper. He'd hoped to convince his friend to make a small detour on his way to school, but no such luck. All his texts and calls had gone unanswered this morning…

' _Well, what did you expect? You spilled the tea on his gutter climbing escapades in front of everyone, including his girlfriend's parents… '_

 _Touché!_

Edward knew he had some fence-mending to do there, before he could even think about asking any favors…

 _'You're on your own today, you loser! Better start walking!'_

Wow, his inner voice was in fine form it seemed.

Now, if Edward had taken his own advice and actually started walking straight away, he could have made it to school with time to spare, no problem. But what's the point in doing things straight away, when you can put them off for later? Right?

Besides he needed to head back to his room and find a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Normally, he had everything he needed in his car, but not this morning… nope… Not for the first time, he cursed his father for taking away his mean of transportation and for messing up his morning routines in the process…

Edward was all for sticking to routines. Routines were good. Routines were what made school bearable, they helped him cope with all the unpredictable elements he would have to face on a typical school day.

Just the idea of not being able to drive himself to school like he normally would, had him feeling on edge. To make matters worse, his brother was being a pain in the ass this morning, following him around, bugging him or teasing him about one thing after another. His constant chatter was making rational thinking almost impossible.

"Emmett, go away already! The answer is NO-…"

"Eddie, come on. You don't even know what I was going to ask."

"It doesn't matter. Your bags are that way. You should be on your way already."

"Aww man, that's harsh! You do realize it will be months before I come back next."

"You're going to Seattle, not the moon. And months? Please… You can't stay away that long. You're such a momma's boy. Also, how else are going to get your fill of home-cooked meals?"

"Cheap shot! I know how to cook and so does Rosie. It's just that we don't do it very often… Plus it's cheaper to just stick to microwave pizza."

"My point exactly. You'll come home when the hunger for real, proper food gets too strong… or when you run out of clean clothes to wear, whichever happens first..."

"I'll probably run out of money before I run out of underwear," Emmett grumbled. "Speaking of which…I need you to lend me enough to cover what I owe Peter for the beer and stuff."

"Haha, how about no!"

"How about yes?!" Emmett said with a small pout.

Edward sighed; his brother was always running out of cash… and never seemed to learn from past mistakes. He was always blowing his spending money and maxing his credit card on tech gadgets, beer and…. well, having fun. At least he was consistent in his squandering ways.

"I've already paid my share. Besides, if you can't even be bothered with giving me a ride to school, then I don't see why I should be doing you any favors," Edward told Emmett with a roll of his eyes.

"I suppose I could give you a ride, but Rosie doesn't like to be kept waiting and I've heard the police still got the roadblocks up, so it will take forever to get there drop you off and then come back here to pick her up. Sorry bro, but you know the saying; happy wife, happy life."

"She's not your wife, you doofus!"

"Oh, I know that. We're just two college kids, with no clue what we're doing or where we'll end up next! But I do know I'll marry her one d- … "

"You're so whipped. And you're so not getting any more money out of me," Edward snorted, while cursed his stupid brother for driving a stupid jeep with no backseat… and for having a stupid girlfriend who traveled with more luggage than the rest of the family combined.

"If you don't help me, I'll have to ask Alice to lend me the money. Seriously Edward, do you really want me running to Al with any of this?

"Why not?" Edward eyed him suspiciously. "I mean, she totally drank herself silly on our beer the other night. It's only fair she gets to chip in!"

"Yeah, I know… but think about it. Alice will have questions for sure. She'll want to know you're in such a foul mood this morning, for starters…. What if I slip up and tell her ALL your secrets-.."

"Shut up! Don't even joke about that," Edward warned, shooting him a death glare.

"You could always pay me for my silence," Emmett suggested, teasingly. He ended up nearly losing his balance when Edward took off lunging for him.

No punches were thrown, but of course it didn't take long before they ended up on the ground, wrestling, in typical brotherly fashion. This went on until Rosalie came out and threatened to put Emmett on a sex ban if he didn't get in the car straight away.

Emmett, being the cheeky bastard that he was, said he couldn't leave without saying goodbye to his sister first. This had Edward practically shoving him towards the car (and way from the girls).

"You smell like a sweaty garden gnome. I'm sure a wave from afar will be sufficient enough."

It wasn't until later, when his brother's car was nothing but a cloud of dust in the distance that Edward realized he'd run out of time and that walking to school no longer was a feasible option.

Great! Now he had no choice, but carpooling with his sister.

.

…

.

The car ride with Alice and Bella was just as uncomfortable as Edward feared it would be. Naturally, his sister had insisted on having Bella riding shotgun, so Edward found himself being squeezed into the backseat. There was not nearly enough leg room back there and Alice was, unfortunately, notorious for having the messiest car in the family. She had so much junk in there it should have been declared a bio-hazard ages ago. That wasn't the uncomfortable part though.

No, what made it uncomfortable was Swan's silence. The girl didn't make one single sound the entire way to school. Instead, she just kept staring, unseeingly, out the car window.

Alice seemed completely unfazed by the lack of response she got from her friend. She filled the silence by talking to herself for twenty minutes straight.

Edward ignored them both, and was quite successfully at it. Honestly, this was mostly because he was much too busy keeping his eyes trained on the ants carrying bread crumbs across the headrest on the seat in front of him. Nasty little fuckers!

He did, however, slip up at one point during the drive though. Technically, he had NOT meant to look at her, but it was just that the ants weren't that far from away her right shoulder and therefore he couldn't help but notice when Bella lifted her gaze and her head turned ever so slightly.

For the briefest of seconds, their eyes met in the rearview mirror and… nothing, not a word, not a blink, no emotion — no, that's wrong. There was a smile. She was smiling at whatever nonsense Alice had just said. It was a fake one though, one that didn't reach her eyes.

This weird devoid of emotions almost made it seem like she was in pain, or like something was tearing at her, breaking her. Whatever it was, she was obviously going to extraordinary lengths to keep it under wraps. '

Why were girls always so difficult to figure out?

Was this because of something he'd said or done the other night? Some stupid shit he couldn't even remember…? Was she plotting the best way to maim him, or do him some grievous bodily harm? Was that what the silence was all about?

See this was the reason he didn't do relationships, they just mess with your head. That's why it was best to avoid them all together. Even the ones that come with no strings attached.

 _News flash Cullen; everyone knows 'no strings attached' never means 'no strings attached'._

…..


	44. Chapter 44

**.**

 **-=[ Isabella Swan, 17 y.o, - the past]=-**

 **.**

 **Chapter 44**

.

Edward's pov

.

…

.

If Edward could have slept while sitting upright, he would have done so. He really was THAT tired and also, utterly, utterly bored.

It wasn't like he expected the police to be dropping juicy details left and right, but still he hadn't expected the assembly to be quite this… uneventful.

No one seemed to know where those two babies had come from, well they weren't aliens, nor were they zombies, so it was pretty safe to say they'd entered this world through a woman's vajayjay…. But apart from that, they didn't seem to have a whole lot of leads to go on. Why else would they be wasting their time pleading to a bunch of tired and bored students to 'please speak up if anyone has heard or seen anything'….'You can do it anonymously'…. 'No one needs to know'…. and the usual yada yada.

Okay, Edward wasn't stupid, he realized those babies could very well be the result of some teen pregnancy gone horribly wrong. This was a total waste of everyone's time though. Simply showing up in uniforms and asking nicely wouldn't get the police the answers they were looking for. Teenagers don't tell on each other. They don't talk to the cops or any grown up really – unless, of course, there is some sort of personal gain to be had. Offer some sort of cash reward and you'll have upped the odds of getting some sort of response, good or bad, by at least 137 percent.

What Edward took away from this whole assembly was that the only evidence the police had actually managed to secure from the crime scene, or birth place of birth apart from…well, the bloody placenta and a dead baby, appeared to be a collection of small, female shoeprints. That was the only new piece of information they had revealed all morning.

Oddly enough, it really did appear as though the size of those shoeprints was the sole reason why they were 100% convinced the mother was a teenager rather than a full-grown woman. Edward thought that argument sounded a bit weak. Not to stereotype, but Asian women have small feet, don't they? It's not a rarity in other ethnicities either. One could only hope the police knew things they weren't willing to go public with yet, things that backed this theory. Either that or they really were completely incompetent, the whole lot of 'em.

Edward tuned out again. Not that he didn't want to listen (well, he kinda didn't...) but honestly, concentrating on anything for more than a few minutes had proven tough for him this morning. He wished he could take a nap. He wished he could turn his brain off and fall away into a blissful ignorance for a bit. In fact, that was one of the reasons why he'd picked a seat at the very back of the gym. Nothing like a good power nap to clear the mind after dealing with BS all morning.

No matter how hard he tried though, it seemed completely impossible to snatch even the shortest of naps. The backless benches were hard and uncomfortable and he suspected his caffeine intake could be a contributing factor as well.

Also, it didn't help that his good pal James Hunter kept providing running commentary like he was covering a frikken sport event rather than a boring school assembly. The fucker just wouldn't shut up about how spectacular Mrs. Elli's tits looked in cashmere, or how many cops it took to work a projector, or how many time principal McKinley started a sentence with the words 'This awful tragedy'….

Yeah, so no nap for Edward. Then again, when was the last time that happened? The answer would be 'never'. He was simply too much of a control freak to fall asleep in public …

However, there was another, entirely different reason, as to why hiding at the very back of the gym had seemed like a good idea. It put him as far away from Alice and her friends as he could possibly get.

His sister had been quite predictable when it came to choosing both her seat and her company. Not wanting to miss out on anything, she'd plonked her ass down the front row. And in the process of doing so, she'd dragged a certain Miss Swan along with her.

 _Distance is seriously underrated. This was one of the many reasons why he was a bit of a loner in the first place…_

Ironically though, despite his best intentions to maintain this distance, Edward's eyes still went searching through the crowd of students until they landed on Bella, or rather the back of her head. From his vantage point at the top of the spectator stands, he could make out the profile of her face: the turned curve of her nose, the slant of her cheeks….

 _No. Nope. Out, out, out._ _Banish those thoughts_ _right now!_

He looked away, but not without noticing she'd moved to a different seat. It appeared as though, Bella and Jasper had switched seats at some point. Instead of finding Swan in her original seat next to Alice, she was now positioned at the very end of the front row. Closer to the exit… Coincidence? Probably not….

Anyway, from what he could tell she seemed to be in the middle of a whispered conversation with Angela Weber. Oh, well… Edward couldn't remember seeing Angie at the party the other night, so those two probably had some catching up to do… Or they were plotting some grand escape scheme…

Yeah, that was probably it…. Just then, Bella's head bobbed up and down in a fervent nod. See, she was agreeing. And-…

Damn, he was doing it again. Thinking about her, letting her invade his every thought.

Edward shook his head, trying to refocus his mind on better things. Glancing briefly at the wall clock, he groaned upon realizing there were still 45 minutes of boredom left to endure.

Down on the makeshift stage, underneath the basketball hoop, principal McKinley was still droning on about the same old stuff ...over and over again…. until finally, it was time for Chief Swan to speak again.

The chief of Police was at least marginally more entertaining than the rest of the goons. He had his twitching pornstache and expressive hand gestures going for him. But still, the entire thing was turning into one big snooze fest as far as Edward was concerned… (but try as he might he still couldn't catch any actual Zs).

Honestly, if this had been any other school gathering, he would have snuck out ages ago. However, he couldn't exactly do that this time, seeing as a certain Dr. Cullen (aka mother dearest) was scheduled to speak at the end of the assembly. Well, he could, but he knew his mom wouldn't appreciate it. While Edward was fairly certain he could slip out of the gym unnoticed, there was no doubt in his mind that she would still somehow find out about it.

'So what?! You're already grounded, what else can she do?! Come find you and drag you by the ear to the principal's office? You're such a loser, Cullen,' his bully of a mind taunted him. 'If you wanna leave, just get up and leave! For Christ sake you're not a kid anymore!'

His inner voice was on to something there. And strangely enough, the thought barely registered, before Chief Swan went and said something eerily similar into the microphone.

"You're not little kids anymore. Some of you are already eighteen or turning eighteen this upcoming year. You'll be viewed as adults in the eye of the law."

Expanding on the point he was making, chief Swan continued, "Be smart and do the mature thing! Please, contact the police if you know anything that could help us locate this young woman. No matter what condition she's in, she is going to need help that only licensed professionals or adults with training can provide."

 _No Shit, Sherlock..._

Now, Chief throw in some form of cash reward and call it a day!

Except, of course, they aren't done yet.

"Thank you, Chief Swan," Principal McKinley said, taking charge again. "Are there any questions?" he asked, addressing the sea of restless students in the audience.

No hands were raised.

The principal tapped the microphone as if to check it was still working. "Really? No questions?" he asked again. "Come on, don't be shy.…"

At this point someone in the front row apparently did say something. Edward was seated too far back to hear the actual question, but his curiosity was piqued at the sudden outburst of snickers that erupted.

"Mr. Newton, language please!" McKinley snapped, clearly unamused.

 _Of course it had to be Newton, making tactless comments…. And of course it_ _was unclear, as always, if he_ _was comically and socially tone-deaf or just plain stupid_. _…_ _or all of the above._

"Chief Swan, obviously you don't have to answer that one," the principal said. "We all know that's not how the police work. "

"That's not how we work, no," Chief Swan agreed, crossing his arms over his chest. "But I will answer the question anyway. We use several methods for DNA retrieval and going around town collecting semen samples from teenage boys is not one of them. If I, or any of my fellow police colleagues, for any reason, would need a DNA sample from you, we will ask permission to swab the inside of your cheek with a q-tip. That's how we normally do it."

"Mr. Newton, if you think it's of importance for this case, I'm sure Chief Swan can arrange such a DNA test for you," McKinley suggested gravely, causing more snickers and even some outright laughing.

"Absolutely, bring your parents with you and come down to the station later this afternoon," chief Swan deadpanned. Or maybe he was serious. Hard to tell…Either way, this had the noise level escalating even more.

"Like Mike even knows where to stick it," someone, seated a few rows, down from Edward shouted.

"I heard Stanley set him straight on that one," another voice suggested - a female one this time.

A murmur of 'oohs' and 'aahs' went through the crowd.

The principal was waving his hands, trying to get everyone to be quiet."Next one to speak without permission gets detention", he threatened.

However, this was too good of a setup to pass on and multiple students could be heard shouting, "Did you get Jess preggers, Newton?!" and a few similar variations of the same question.

"Shut up! He did NOT," Jessica Stanley herself, declared loudly.

Now, this was when things could have gotten really out of hand, because James, the smart ass, decided to join in on the fun. Cupping his hands in front of his mouth like a megaphone, he shouted "Jess who? I heard it was the Swanster that made a man outta little Mikey."

Thankfully, James voice didn't carry as well as he had been hoping for, because Coach Wilson had chosen that precise moment to start blowing his whistle in an attempt to get the students to quiet down again.

James didn't seem to let that stop him though, he simply laughed, shook his head a bit and then brought his hands back up to his mouth again, presumably preparing himself to make another go at it..

Edward reacted without thinking. Grabbing James by his ponytail, he yanked the guy backwards at the same time as he pulled a knee forward, ramming it into the spot between the offensive fucker's shoulder blades.

"What the hell, Cullen!" James yelped, as broke free and spun around to clap back.

"Don't be crude, man. That's her father down there!" Edward warned, shoving James back into his seat again. "Besides you KNOW that shit isn't even true to begin with."

"Who cares if it's true or not!? It's frikking funny! Come on, don't be such a spoil-sport," James said, smoothing down his ponytail. "I mean, what are you still PMSing for, you moody piece of shit? I though getting laid would snap you out of your funk."

"Haven't you heard, Jay?" some freshman kid named Garrett piped up bravely. "Cullen's regular fan base of hoes doesn't cut it for him anymore. He was turning down sure things left, right and center over the weekend."

"Ah, you're right. Good catch there, Gar," James was quick to agree. "I guess the rumors about him must be true-…"

"What rumors?" Edward heard himself ask, against his better judgment.

Was this about him and Swan? He felt a chill travel from his head to his feet. It would be oh-so-typical if that shit got out now, when they had, in fact, been over for ages…

"I said, what rumors?" he repeated a second time when no one answered him.

"That you're so gay you can't even get it up long enough to 'poke' girls on Facebook," James finally replied, smugly. "Geez, you should have seen your face just now. What did you think we were talking about, man? I've told you to lighten up and stop being so freaking uptight all the time!"

"And I've told you many, MANY times to stop messing with my sister and her friends -especially Swan," Edward muttered, wiping his hands on his jeans as if to make clear he was done with this shit. "I mean it. Her dad is a cop. You'll get us all in trouble, if you keep pissing her off."

"Aww man, come on, you know I enjoy messing with the ugly duckling," James said with a laugh. "Hitting on her is like doing charity work. One of these days she's gonna get over her self-righteous, 'holier-than-thou' attitude and realize I'm a class act compared to those other losers she surrounds herself with. Obviously, I'm not going to touch her until she's 18 though. I'm not stupid. But hey, in the meanwhile, I suppose I could always redirect my attention to your sister again, Cullen. I mean, if that's more to your liking-..."

"Don't even joke about something like that," Edward growled, feeling his temper rise again in spite of his efforts to keep it under wraps. "Have you forgotten the beating you took last time around?"

"She is a bit feisty... your sister. Always moving, always talking never still except for when she's out cold," James continued like he hadn't heard him.

"Shut the fuck up!" Edward lurched forward again to wipe the smug expression off the bastard's face once and for all.

This time however, James was more alert and fended off the blow easily.

"Or what? What are you gonna do about it, Cullen?" he countered in a sing-song tone of voice, as if it was all just a fun game to him. "We've talked about this before. You're on your own now. Who do you think is gonna be beating who this year? It's not like your big giant of a brother is planning to come home every weekend, now is it?"

Edward opened his mouth to respond, when someone else stepped in and did it for him.

"Dude, he's McCarthy's little brother. I wouldn't hesitate one second to back him… and I know I'd get at least half the team with me, whether Cullen asks for our help or not," Ben Cheney said, turning around in his seat a few rows down. "You have a girlfriend. Stop talking shit about other girls. It's fucking disrespectful."

Now this was unexpected to say the least. Ben wasn't one to actively seek out confrontations.

"Ooh, Choirboy is coming after me," James said, in a taunting tone. "I'm so scared; I'm shaking in my boots."

"You should be. Do you know how much Benny here can bench-press?" Colin, one of the other guys from the football team snorted. "Oh, and he does it while singing oh so very beautifully… Him and big Em used to sing show tunes together in the gym all the time. And yep, I'll back Cullen too, even if he is moody piece of shit most of the time."

"What-the-fuck-ever," James rolled his eyes. "My girlfriend and I have an open relationship. She has absolutely no say in what I do, or who I do it with. Just like you have no say in how I speak to my buddies about girls… So shut the trap and we won't have any problems, got it?!"

"Come on Edward, let's go outside for some fresh air," Ben suggested getting to his feet. "The smell of bullshit in here is giving me a headache."

"He can't leave now, his mommy is up next," James said with a smug tone of voice. "She's a total MILF, by the way. Does she always dress like that for work? I think I have just developed a sudden need for some one-on-one therapy…."

"Now, you're just trying to yank my chain," Edward growled, refraining from punching the creep in his fucking face. "But it's not going to work this time because I'm out of here," he added, flipping James off with his favorite finger.

"See you later, Eddie," James waved at him cheerfully, as if they hadn't just been at each other's throats a moment before. "Poker at my place tonight. Don't forget to bring cash!"

.

…

.

"You guys don't really play poker when you get together, do you?" Ben Cheney asked as they reached the bottom of the movable spectator's stand.

"Very rarely, Choirboy," Edward agreed with a roll of his eyes.

"That's what I thought… and please call me Ben. I hate nicknames and that one is just lame."

"Sorry… uhm Ben, my bad—," Edward halted to check if the coast was clear. It wasn't. So he motioned for them to duck back behind the corner again. The last thing they needed was a run in with Coach Wilson - former marine drill sergeant turned P.E. teacher from hell.

While they waited, Ben said quietly, "I only joined the choir to impress a girl. Yeah, it's gospel… but it kinda sounds like the blues. I'll listen to just about any music for that girl, I'm not picky."

"So… is it working?" Edward asked after a moment of awkward silence. "…on the girl. Is she impressed?"

"Nah, I can't carry tone for shit and my singing voice is the opposite of impressive. But hey, I get to see her outside of school for practice and stuff, so there is that…."

"Cool," Edward said and then motioned for Ben to follow him towards the passage behind the three stands placed side by side at the long end of the gym. "For what it's worth she seems…I don't know… nice? Angela, I mean. That's the girl you have a thing for, right?" Edward checked.

"Err…" Ben sounded hesitant. "It is, but I didn't think you paid attention to things like that. You don't seem overly interested in keeping track on who's dating who-..."

"You're right. I have no interest in that shit, what so ever. Forget I said anything. I was just making small talk or whatever… Fuck, I'm just bad at this whole-..:" he trailed off , not sure what he was saying, or even what he meant to say.

"Socializing thing? I know you don't interact with others much… heck, everyone at school knows this -which makes it even harder to understand why you put up with someone like James Hunter." Ben said as they turned another corner, heading for the far end exit. "He's such a jerk!"

"Come on, you know damn well why I put up with him," Edward stated with a shake of his head. "Just like you know he wasn't really inviting me over for poker, back there. Oh and for future reference, I can handle him just fine on my own. Not that I didn't appreciate the support, but…."

"Oh trust me, I'm not planning on getting involved. The only reason I spoke up at all was because I couldn't sit there and listen to him spew out shit like that. I mean, I know Swan, sort of. She's cool and your sister is alright too - when she's not doing the talking-impossibly-fast thing. Anyway, if I had a sister, I sure as hell wouldn't want anyone talking about her- or her friends- like objects or lesser beings. Also, the stuff he said about your mother was wholly uncalled for -…" Ben sudden drew to an abrupt halt. "Oh, trouble ahead! Isn't that your sister?!"

"Blocking our escape route … AND causing a bit of a stir, while she's at it. Yep, that would be my sister for you," Edward muttered, because the person in the midst of an animated discussion with Nurse Coop was none other than Alice. She was born to cause havoc, that one…

Edward could only hear bits and pieces of the conversation and what he heard didn't make much sense.

The school nurse was shaking her head, disagreeing with whatever Alice had just said.

"Please!" Alice tried again, raising a hand, gesturing towards the door. "I just need-..."

"I've already said no. I would suggest you return to your seat, Miss Cullen. If you ask one more time, I'll have to give you a detention."

"You don't understand. It's an emergency. It can't wait."

"If you need to use the bathroom again, you know where to find it," she pointed towards the locker rooms. Seeing as Alice didn't seem thrilled by this suggestion, Edward took that to mean the looker rooms were a dead end.

At this point Edward was losing all hope of ever reaching the freedom on the outside of these metaphorical prison walls. If Alice couldn't talk her way out of there, no one could.

Ben, however, proved yet again to be surprisingly resourceful. "I've got this," he whispered. "Follow my lead and just go along, okay?!"

Without waiting for an answer he headed straight for Nurse Coop, trying to get her attention.

"Nurse C, may we be excused, please!"

"What's the matter now?" the woman barked, turning around to face him."Let me guess, another emergency?"

"Asthma," Ben said, gesturing towards his throat. "I need … my inhaler… it's in my locker. Ed's gonna help… me."

She looked him up and down in scrutiny. "Asthma?"

"Yeah, too much perfume back there," Edward said, eyes wide to keep the bemused look from his face. "The ventilation in here is a joke and with this many people crammed together -…"

"It aggravates…. my breathing," Ben cut in impatiently, speaking with a slight wheeze, making him sound genuinely out of breath.

"See, I told you it was an emergency," Alice pointed out, obviously doing some quick-on-her-feet thinking. She wasn't looking at the school nurse as she spoke though. No, instead she fixed Edward with a strange look.

Edward could sense something was off and his sister was trying to tell him something. But, her telepathic abilities were shit, so he chose to ignore her, as he so often did.

"Well, you certainly don't need three people to fetch one inhaler," Nurse Coop still didn't look entirely convinced.

"Woah, dizzy," Ben groaned, suddenly swaying on his feet.

In an epic move, he grabbed onto the nearest person for support. Caught by surprise, this person –who was Alice, of course - nearly toppled over from the extra weight that was put on her tiny shoulders.

Edward took this as his cue sneak out the door. Epic or not, he sure as hell wasn't going to stick around when Ben got himself busted for faking that shit… He was a decent actor though, who knew?!

The last thing Edward heard behind him as he hurried down the hallway was Nurse Coop shouting for someone to get her a chair.

 _._

 _..._

.

There were a whole bunch of police officers, dog handlers and police dogs scattered throughout the school grounds. None of them seemed particularly interested in pursuing stray students playing hooky though. So thankfully, Edward's grand escape went under the radar.

Actually, no one even looked up from what they were doing as Edward came barging across the lawn towards the student's parking lot.

He made it all the way to where the grass met the asphalt before he realized his mistake. There was no shiny Volvo waiting for him in his usual spot today.

This meant he had no car to hide in. Not that it mattered much, seeing as he had no cigarettes either. Crap, he'd forgotten he had left those in his locker before the assembly! This is what happens when your parents decide to mess up your routines…

Cursing again, he made a detour over to where Jasper had parked his car, but found all doors locked and all windows rolled completely shut for once. Perhaps he shouldn't be surprised. With the cops being all over the place, all and every car on the parking lot were probably locked this morning. Last year's drug bust still fresh on everyone's minds, no doubt. You don't want those sniffer dogs, sniffing through your stuff if it can be avoided.

Turning around, Edward started walking in the direction of the main buildings again. He didn't make it very far before his phone vibrated with an incoming text.

He sighed inwardly, knowing it was most likely Alice texting him again. He's already received two messages from her already, asking him to please look for Bella.

It appeared as though Swan hadn't lasted the entire assembly either. According to Alice, she'd run off somewhere, getting sick again. Edward figured it must have happened while he'd been preoccupied with James _'_ bullshit. This was, of course, the emergency his sister had been on her way to take care of, before running into nurse Coop.

He supposed this would explain why Alice had been spelling out the letters 'BS' and 'WC' in hand signs earlier when Ben had decided to surprise tackled her. Edward didn't really know much sign language, he knew three or four words and recognized about half the letters in the alphabet and that was the extent of it. And as previously mentioned, Alice's telepathic abilities weren't all that great either, so Edward didn't actually figure shit out until his sister started messing him.

He checked his phone and yep, it was Alice again. This time, the message simply stated 'Stop dragging your feet, check all bathrooms, STAT!'

No, just NO… Alice must be insane for thinking he'd want anything to do with this. In fact, he wouldn't touch this mess with a 10-foot pole.

Letting out a deep breath, Edward turned around, deciding he had no choice, but to stop by his locker. It was a risky, but he needed his cigarettes to keep him calm. If caught, at least he wouldn't have to fake asthma or any other acute symptoms to get out of trouble. He already had a ready-made excuse that worked in most situations. After all, his anxiety issues were well documented in the school records. It was just that he preferred not to play that particular card too often… or at all, if it could be avoided.

Just then, a sudden noise startled him. Looking up, he realized another person standing a few feet ahead of him, blocking the paved footpath between the parking lot and the school's main building.

It took him about five nanoseconds to realize it was Bella and another five to decide he'd had enough of this nonsense. He was suddenly overcome with an uncontrollable desire to destroy anything or anyone daring to cross his path.

"Out of my way Swan, or I swear I'll walk all over you, metaphorically and literally," he snapped. No more tipping on toes around this girl. If she had a problem with him doing what he had done, or being what he was, then fuck her….

Edward saw her back stiffen, her fists clenching. Too annoyed to think about the consequences, he plowed forward, passing her so closely he could have easily knocked her over.

He didn't though.

Sure, an elbow grazed her shoulder, but there was actually very little body contact to speak of. This is why what happened next came as a shock. Suddenly he heard a groan behind him, followed by the thumping sound of a body slumping down to the ground.

 _WTF!_

"Geez, what's wrong with you!?What are you even doing here if youcan't even stand upright?" He spun around only to find her splayed out on the ground in an awkward position.

"Are you high or something?"

"Bella?"

Her only response was a pitiful moan as she tried to curl herself into a ball as if she was trying to protect herself or attempting to hiding.

He realized it could be a panic attack, of course …he'd witnessed plenty of those — both his own and others'. Honestly though, he was leaning more towards this being a self inflicted kind of breakdown, one that came in the shape of a pill with the word acid written on it… maybe…

"Hey, what did you take?"

Instead of answering, her head lolled to the side. Her face was so pale it looked almost blue.

"Come on! You need to breathe. I can't help you if you don't tell me what this is about." He felt his pulse quicken as he closed the distance with three quick strides.

Just as he reached her, she tried again to draw her legs up and that's when he saw it – the blood, smeared on the pavers underneath her middle section.

Edward froze on the spot, his mind racing.

 _NO nonono_ _no NO! Not happening_. _This isn't real. 0% not real. No chance._

.

….

.


	45. Chapter 45

Edward froze on the spot, his mind racing.

He did not know how long he stood, unmoving, barely breathing.

A dog could be heard barking in the distance, followed by the sound of heavy steps coming closer and then several police officers, detectives and dog handlers appeared all at once. So much for Edward's assumption that he'd gone under the radar. Apparently, someone had been paying attention, after all…

One of the police officers stopped in front of Edward, the rest of them were all zooming in on the, by now unmoving, person on the ground. She seemed to have slipped into unconsciousness… Why was she unconscious?

Edward heard talking, but he couldn't make out the words. It was all white noise. He was on the verge of blanking out completely.

"Hey mister - Are you okay?" Someone touched his shoulder in a gentle manner. "What's your name? Can you hear me?"

"Huh? I mean yeah, I hear you. What did you ask?!" He let his eyes come to a stop on the uniform clad man before him.

"Did you call 911? Are you on the phone with them right now?"

"Wha- …Oh," Edward realized he was clutching his phone to his chest.

'Get a grip!' he scolded himself, pushing away that woozy feeling that had his knees feeling like they wanted to buckle. 'No, this won't do!'

He took a deep breath and finally managed to stutter out a somewhat coherent answer. "I-… No. I haven't…. I mean, I couldn't-… It happened so fast!"

At this admission, the police officer immediately took action, barking orders for someone to call an ambulance.

"It happened so fast!" Edward repeated again, mostly to himself.

He should have called for help… that's what a normal, decent human being would have done…

He looked over helplessly at Bella and frowned. The blood-smear on the ground had grown alarmingly large over the past few minutes. Panic gnawed at him. This was wrong—this shouldn't be happening.

He couldn't look away. Couldn't unsee. Couldn't breathe. His knees were seriously threatening to give out underneath him again. It was only then that he realized he was swaying precariously.

"Hey, it's okay. Don't worry. We'll take it from here." Suddenly the police officer was back at his side again, steadying him. "There is an ambulance on the way. Come on, look away if the blood makes you queasy."

"I'm sorry, so sorry …." Edward said brokenly, as he found himself being guided to sit down on the grass a feet away from the commotion.

.

..

.

"Shhh, take it easy! You're shaking. "

Edward was only vaguely aware of the voices that spoke around him as he sat huddled on the ground.

"Who do we have here? Is he okay?"

"I think he's experiencing a shock reaction."

"Can you tell us your name?"

They sounded distant, like he was underwater and they were above the surface.

He tried to say something, but found that he couldn't get a single word out. Breathing properly was turning into a challenge.

"You'll be alright…. Are you cold? Someone, get us a blanket or a jacket or something!"

At some point, he realized the ambulance had arrived and that B-… the patient was being lifted off the ground and placed in the back of the vehicle.

At least she would be getting help now. The tightening in his chest loosened a tiny, tiny bit. Only to get worse again… because, what if it was already too late?

He learned later that the chief of police had been seen stepping into the ambulance as well, before it speeded off with lights flashing and sirens blaring.

By now, a crowd of onlookers was gathering around, watching and whispering. Someone in uniform- a paramedic, or a police officer, he wasn't paying enough attention to determine which one it was—asked if it was alright for her to take his stats.

He shook his head from side to side, vigorously. He wasn't sick, he didn't want or need anyone fussing over him. He just needed to remember how to breathe. He hadn't had a panic attack is school for quite some time, years even, and this was not a good time to be having one, damn it!

Fortunately, both his mother and his sister arrived to the scene soon thereafter. If there was anyone that could talk him down from the metaphorical ledge he was balancing on, it was his mother. She knew better than to touch him, but she got as close as she could and counted with him from one to ten and then backwards until she was satisfied he was breathing again.

She continued offering soft words of comfort to him, while fielding questions from both the police and the paramedics on the site.

No doubt she was making the usual excuses for him. She had to say something…The shocked, paralyzed state he was currently still trapped in was bound to raise questions. He wasn't listening though, he didn't have to.

He knew perfectly well how this went.

His OCD and anxiety issues really, truly, were his 'Get Out Of Jail Free' card. It worked even in the shittiest of situations.

He would laugh if he wasn't so focused on inhaling and exhaling.

.

…

.

An hour later and Edward found himself resting on an uncomfortable cot-like bed in nurse Coop office. At least he was out of the way of prying eyes… but he wished nothing more than to be able to trade the cot for his own bed

He wasn't free to leave though. The police had informed his mother he wouldn't be allowed to go home, until they'd had time to take his statement…Not only that, but apparently there were some questions that needed to be answered as well.

At this point though, Edward was beginning to think they'd forgotten about him and gone back to the station… He knew he should be thankful for getting this little respite before actually having to speak to anyone.

However, time was moving impossibly slow and he was tired of waiting.

"Are you asleep?" his sister asked, her voice uncharacteristically quiet and solemn.

"Stop asking me that every five seconds," Edward opened his eyes to glare at her, and then shut them again tightly with a groan. His head was throbbing with pain.

"I thought I heard snoring," she responded, sounding almost… apologetic. "I can turn down the light if you like?" she went on suggesting, leaving her chair when he nodded in response. "There, better?"

He opened his eyes again, blinking a few times at her.

"I think mom's back, she might have some news for us. You want me to go look for her?"

"Please," he muttered, adding '…And painkillers. Get mom and painkillers.'

"Sure, hang tight. I'll-.." was all Alice manage to get out, before she was interrupted by someone opening the door.

"I thought I heard voices," Esme said, hurrying inside the room.

"Yes, Eddie's awake," Alice announced, moving to offer their mother the chair closest to the cot.

"I wasn't asleep!" he protested.

"Fine, but you were definitely nodding off."

"It's not a bad thing if you fell asleep, Edward. You're very tense. You should try and relax; it might help with the headache," his mother said calmly. "Oh, that reminds me, I've hunted down some aspirin. I'm not sure they'll do much for you, but you should take them…"

"Thanks. I'll settle for anything," he answered, accepting the pills, as she popped two of them out of their packaging and into his hand.

"Do you want water?"

He shook his head, swallowing them dry.

"So apart from the headache, how are you feeling?"

"I don't know… bored? Why is it taking so long?"

The way his mother was eyeing him cautiously had him feeling self conscious. Did she know where his headache stemmed from? Could she sense the panic still bubbling under the surface?

No, he decided. No way she knew. She didn't seem the slightest bit appalled or judgmental… and she would have, if she knew the thoughts that kept flashing through his head every five seconds.

At this point, his sister seemed to have run out of patience. "Mom, did you reach dad?" Alice asked, demanding Esme's attention. "Please, tell me you've got some news for us."

"Your father couldn't take the phone, sweetheart. I was told he'd just stepped into surgery."

"Surgery?" Alice echoed. "Who is he operating on? Is it Bella?"

"Yes, from what I've gathered that seem to be the case," Esme nodded slowly. "I did speak briefly to Dr. Campbell to see, what information, if any she could pass on to me. Isabella is a minor though, so there are of course strict regulations outlining how this is supposed to be handled."

"But… but will she-.… It's really bad, isn't it?" Alice asked with a frown.

"I was told it's not life-threatening at the moment, but that it's not looking great either."

"Why would she need surgery though? Is it because she was bleeding?"

Edward had to bite the inside of his cheek not to snap at them to shut up. He knew what was coming and didn't particularly want to hear the confirmation of his fears.

"I would think so, yes. When someone is suffering from quite extensive internal hemorrhage, like I believe was the case with Isabella, then it could be a sign that there is some sort of damage to internal organs or muscle tissue."

"There was a lot of blood," Alice nodded sadly.

All this talk about blood brought back flashbacks from earlier that had Edward shuddering involuntarily.

Instantly a hand was patting his shoulder reassuringly - his mother's hand, he realized. It didn't make him feel any less nauseated.

"There was a lot of blood, yes," Esme confirmed. "Sometimes internal bleeding will not be evident until many hours after it starts."

Edward felt like vomiting.

" – and blood may pool on the inside any cavity in the uterus or abdominal area and not find its way out until later," she continued her explanation.

Edward felt like dying.

"And like I said, it could indicate an internal injury that would need to be repaired surgically. Keep in mind, I'm only speculation though. It doesn't have to be quite that dramatic. It's fairly normal to experience both blood loss and passing of blood clots in her situation. It's something most women deal with during the first few days after giving birth."

There it was, said aloud at last…

Two gasps were heard at the same time. Alice, being the most dramatic person in the room, was waving a hand in front of her face as is she was on the verge of bursting into tears.

In the meantime, Edward was working on trying to remember how to breathe.

"Sorry," Alice finally said, her voice wavering. "It's not that I hadn't realized… There's gossip about it already. It's just…. hearing it confirmed and aloud like that…it makes it more real. And real is scary."

"Is it?" Edward heard himself utter in a strangled voice that was weaker than a whisper. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Is it real? Is it confirmed?"

"I know it's hard hearing this, it is hard for me telling you this, but the answer is yes." Esme confirmed. "There will be official DNA-result in a day or two, but according to Dr. Campbell there really is no doubt, no room for interpretation, no uncertainty about it… Just the bleeding alone, combined with Isabella's HCG levels, are enough to conclude that she's the one that gave birth to those babies."

"Can't believe this … How come I didn't know-…" Edward couldn't help a hysterical laugh from escaping his lips.

"Oh, no Edward. You did good," his mother hurried assure him, obviously having misinterpreted his reaction entirely." None of us knew what was going on. If you hadn't found her when you did, she-… she could have bled out and died right there on the school grounds. Another ten minutes and it could have been too late. You probably saved her life. "

"This is messed up. I should have known…." he muttered and shook his head, winching at the hammering pain. She didn't understand, but how could she? He couldn't even wrap his brain around it himself. It was all too much…

"Shhh, she's in surgery right now," his mother interrupted him."Antibiotics, fluids, blood transfusions - she's getting the treatments she needs. She'll pull through this."

Just then, someone knocked on the door and nurse Coop poked her head inside. "Officer Fuller wants to know if they can come in."

"Tell them to give us five more minutes," Esme replied, looking somewhat frazzled.

"No, let 'em in," Edward heard himself protest. He just wanted this over with. He'd waited long enough already

"Are you sure?" his mother asked, to which he nodded 'yes'.

"Okay then, I suppose the sooner you speak to them the sooner we can go home."

Oh boy, she really had no idea…. One wrong word out his mouth and this could potentially go from bad to worse real fast. Still, he saw no point in putting it off any longer.

.

….  
.

"… so you weren't actually looking for miss Swan then?" Officer Brady Fuller asked, looking at Edward with _steely, unreadable eyes._

"No," he answered truthfully. "I mean, I wasn't NOT looking for her. My sister had sent me several text messages telling me to check the bathrooms. I just figured, I had time to get my cigarettes first."

"And you had your cigarettes in your car?" This was said with no judgment, just conjecture.

"No, they are in my locker," he sighed, rubbing his face. "I normally keep them in my car, but this morning my sister gave me a ride, so I put the pack in my jacket which I left in my locker. I didn't realize this until I had already reached the parking lot though. That's when I turned around to head back the main building and that's when I spotted B-… Miss Swan."

"I see." The man's expression was still unreadable.

"Why did you leave the gym in the first place, Mr. Cullen?" the other police officer, Heidi Burns, asked. Her tone was friendly enough, but he could read suspicion on her face.

"I just wanted a break … It was running kind of long, the assembly, I mean…."

"At the risk of getting detention? The assembly was mandatory and smoking on school grounds is not allowed... Also, faking an emergency should be viewed equivalent to setting off the fire alarm on purpose. When I was in high school that alone was enough to warrant a week long suspension."

"I didn't fake no emergency. I didn't do anything," Edward objected.

"Mr. Cullen, we've heard from numerous people that the only reason you managed to sneak out was because you had a friend of yours fake an asthma attack."

"Please, call me Edward.. and uhm… I didn't ask anyone to run interference for me," he said wearily. "My friend was just trying to get out of there, same as me... I go away with it. He didn't."

"What part did your sister play in all this then? You said she was texting you? She's the petite girl who was in the room when we arrived, correct?"

"Yes, that would be Alice. She can be very persistent and kind of pushy, I guess, but she means well. She was texting me about her friend, trying to rope me into checking on the girl for her. They are really close friends, those two and I definitely got the impression it was a bit of an emergency. I just didn't realize how bad it was, or I would have acted differently… prioritized differently," he grimaced.

"And by prioritized differently you mean…?"

"Not wasting time looking for my cigarettes first."

"Any particular reason you took your sister's concern lightly? Does these kinds of emergencies happen a lot?"

"No, it's just…. I knew Bella had been sick over the weekend - 'throwing-up- all-day-long' kind of sick. So, when I heard she'd upped and left her seat in the gym, I simply figured she was having another bout of that very same stomach bug again. And…the thing is, I don't like germs. They freak me out… so, honestly, I wanted nothing to do with that. Alright. "

"Okay, but your sister knew it was a little more serious than that, I take it. I mean, seeing as you described her being 'persistent' and 'pushy'…"

"Maybe...I don't know. My sister can be quite intuitive sometimes."

"So, talk us through this," Officer Fuller continued. "What happened when you caught up with Miss Swan on the pathway by the parking lot? Did you talk to her? Did she say anything to you? Did she mention not feeling well?"

"No, it all happened rather quickly... There was no talking, there was no time for it. She barely even acknowledged my presence."

"Actually, we have two policemen stating they overheard you shouting at her. They couldn't hear the exact words you used, but they said it sounded like you were upset with her. How do you explain that?"

.fuck...

"I wasn't upset with her… Confused and a bit frustrated, yes, but not upset.. I don't remember there being any shouting. If I was shouting, it was probably one of those in the heat of the moment things…"

"My son has just been through a rather traumatic experience. He's got a raging headache bordering on migraine," Esme reminded them in a firm but gentle manner. "He hasn't had time to process everything yet."

"Thank you Dr. Cullen. We'll keep that in mind. Edward… anything you'd like to add?"

"It happened so fast." Edward felt like he had repeated that phrase at least twenty times already.

"Okay. So, you saw her standing there… What happened next? "Officer Fuller motioned for him to continue.

"One minute she was standing there with her back turned, next thing I knew she was on the ground withering in pain. I saw the blood and kind of freaked out. Then, you guys arrived, followed by the ambulance... I'm probably still in a bit of a shock to be honest."

"We have a few more questions, but if you like we can take a break here," Officer Fuller suggested kindly.

"No, I'm fine." He sighed, running his hands through his hair until it almost stood on end. "Let's get this over with."

"This is a rather small school, so I assume you know Miss Swan quite well, correct?" officer Burns asked, changing the line of questioning. "Do you have any classes together?"

"No, but my sister has bio with her. That's how they became friends. She only moved here like a year ago…I think?"

He looked over at his mother, as if he needed her to confirm this. He didn't, of course. He knew down to the exact number of days how long he'd known Bella Swan. He wasn't going to let that one slip though….

"Yes, little over a year actually," his mother nodded. "This is a small town and everyone knows everyone around here. Charlie Swan is a friend and Isabella is a frequent guest in our house."

"So, Edward, would you say Miss Swan is a friend of yours?"

"Sure, she's close with my sister. We all get along "

"Now, before we continue, there is something I have to ask," Fuller started, in a serious tone of voice. "Have you ever…. dated Miss Swan?"

"No," he answered truthfully and with no hesitation. "I don't really date and even if I did, she isn't my type."

"She isn't your type? Why is that?"

"If I wanted to ask someone out on a date, I wouldn't go for someone that I know lies down on my mother's couch on a regular basis. She's a psychiatrist, if you didn't know that already and Bella is-…"

"Edward Anthony Cullen, that's enough!" Esme interrupted with a somewhat shocked face.

"What? I'm only trying to be honest here," He shrugged as nonchalantly as he could.

"Needing therapy doesn't make a person less dateable, or less worthy of love. You, if anyone, should know that."

"So, what I take from this is that Isabella Swan is a patient of yours, Dr. Cullen. Care to confirm this?"Officer Fuller prodded.

"I prefer not to at this point," Esme was shaking her head. "I take the doctor-patient relationship very seriously. I try my hardest to protect my patients' anonymity and integrity, but like I said before, this is a small town. Sometimes words get out no matter what… However, I do NOT under any circumstances discuss my patients in front of my children. I'm appalled my son would even hint that he knows anything about who comes to my office and how often they are there."

"Alright, thank you for clearing that up," Officer Fuller said, holding his hands up as if to halt her outburst. "I have to ask you again, Edward. Just so we're clear. No misunderstandings. Has there ever been any romantic interest in Miss Swan on your part?"

"No. Never. I mean, I'm not blind, she definitely pretty in an under-stated sort of way… but I have never had any romantic interest in her... And for the record, I'm sorry about my comment earlier. It was uncalled for."

No one said anything for a moment.

"Alright. That only leaves one final thing for us to discuss," officer Burns said, taking over the questioning. "If you paid attention to the assembly this morning you'll know there was a discussion about DNA and paternity testing…"

"Yeah?" He couldn't help but frown a bit at this. "You want to test my DNA, is that what you're saying?"

"It depends, is there a chance we could end up with a match, if we did?"

"Hey, I think this is getting a bit too personal. I was told this would be an informal talk - nothing more, nothing less," Esme interfered, just as Edward was opening his mouth. If she was still upset with him, she didn't show it. Instead, she went on adding, "If you want to make a formal request, then go ahead and do it. We don't mind coming down to the station for a proper interrogation in a day or two, but right now I don't see a point in continuing this."

"I'm sorry, you're absolutely right," Fuller admitted, not looking or sounding sorry at all. "Edward, this is not an interrogation and you don't have to answer any question you're not comfortable with. At the moment, we're just looking for any information that may help."

It was then that Edward was struck by an idea so ingenious he physically whacked himself for not thinking of it sooner.

"Bella Swan has a boyfriend you know," he spoke up, pleased that his voice sounded neutral, almost bored."Or I guess you didn't know…. but yeah, there is this one guy she's been dating on the down low for a while. If anyone should be asked to submit DNA, it's him."

"Is that so?" Both police officers were looking at him expectantly.

"Yeah, I won't give you a name, because that would be-… I mean, I don't want to throw someone else under the bus. I guess I already am… sort of… but just ask around and you'll find him. Enough people know who he is, so it shouldn't take you long."

"We'll see about that," officer Fuller nodded. "But thanks for the heads up."

Oh, you're welcome, Edward smirked inwardly.

The ingenious part? Well, for starters, it would get them off his back for awhile. Because, honestly, he didn't have any answers to give them.

Yes, he'd slept with the girl more times than he cared to recount. … Okay, fine - 32 times, over the course of seven months. But he always used condoms, damn it! He SHOULD be in the clear, yet of course there was a smidgen of doubt. He could practically hear his father scold him, 'Son, nothing is ever 100% effective, even if you use it correctly.'

Seriously though, there had been no leakage or breakage that he knew of. He always checked afterwards, to make sure. Only, that wasn't entirely true…. he may or may not have been stoned out of his mind a handful of those 32 times. That was the only part about this that truly bothered him - that tiny, tiny risk that-… No, he pushed the thought away faster than it popped up.

It was only fair that 'precious' Jake got to take some heat for running his mouth about how he'd been sleeping with Swan since the day she arrived in town.

Edward felt a sudden stab of . . . something. Irritation?

Could those two have been going at it behind his back?! Not the entire time perhaps, but it only takes one time, one bad decision, ONE SPERM to get a girl pregnant! If there was one thing he'd learned from today it was that he couldn't be certain of anything anymore.

At least this way he'd get Black, either ruled out, or confirmed as a match, before he decided what to do next.

"I've had enough! Can I f-ing leave now?" he asked, not bothering to rein in the frustration bubbling in his chest anymore.

"Yes, I think we're done for today," Officer Fuller agreed, offering his hand for one final handshake.

.

…

.

"Come on," Esme said softly, laying a hand gently on his shoulder. "Let's get you home, so you can rest, you must be exhausted."

"I am… Fuck, I don't even know what time it is."

"It's a little after one in the afternoon. I wish you'd drop the cursing every two seconds and learn some patience, Edward. But all in all, you handled yourself reasonably well. I'm proud of you for keeping a lid on your temper."

"You shouldn't be. I'm a liar," he almost blurted. Instead, he settled for, "I'm sorry… you know, for that thing I said about her being your patient. I didn't mean it the way it came out."

"I know you didn't. This is a situation out of the ordinary, so I'm not going to be judging you too harshly for not thinking before speaking," she replied, trying — but not quite succeeding — in giving him a stern look. "Just don't do it again, alright?!"

"I won't," he agreed willingly.

"Good! Can you believe what a day this is shaping up to be? I can't even begin to fathom …" his mother started saying but then trailed off, shaking her head. "All I know is, my heart aches for Isabella."

What a day indeed and one they would never forget.

…..


	46. Chapter 46

AN:/Sorry about the delay! I've been a bit distracted lately, with both work stuff and a big, exciting family happening. My baby brother is now a married man!

.

...

.

Sex.

Sex with Bella.

Edward still remembered, with startling clarity, their first time together. Try as he might to put it all behind him, that was the one area where his mind wouldn't t let him forget.

He should be a sleep, yet there he was lying sleepless in his bed, remembering.

In retrospect, he knew he'd made a mistake that night. It shouldn't have happened the way it happened. It wasn't too much of a surprise that things between them had changed eventually. It was just that it all happened a bit too fast for it to be a normal, healthy reaction. Warning bells should have gone off there, but they didn't…. not until much later.

There had definitely been a big check in the box next to physical attraction from the get go, but neither one of them had any interest in acknowledge this attraction - hence the initial clashing of egos and mutual antagonism between them. It wasn't personal, they were both just loners by nature.

He supposed, their lives were kind of similar in some ways - they both had to fend for themselves and every single decision they made, evolved around one singular purpose: to get through High School as quickly and smoothly as possible.

What complicated it all were those annoying sparks of attraction that would leap about whenever the two of them got within touching distance of each other, sparks that just wouldn't go away.

Hint to self; the idea that you can get someone out of your system by sleeping with them is a crock of shit.

Horny teenager as he was, it didn't occur to Edward until much later, that all sex, even the casual kind, came with unintended emotional consequences.

 _That's what happen when you_ _sleeps with someone for the wrong reasons_ , _you moron!_

That being said though, he didn't necessary regret sleeping with her; the physical aspect of it had been good… Actually, with a bit of time and practice the sex had been phenomenal. So, to say he regretted it all together would be a lie. It was the WHY and the HOW it had all come about that bothered him.

For starters the fact that Bella had been pushing the subject of sex only hours after Edward had gone all the way out to La Push to rescue her from Jake Black, should have made him go ' _Hold up! What's going on here_?'

As much as Bella had tried to downplay the whole thing, there was no denying that she'd been pretty shook up following her little spat with Black. So much so, that she couldn't stand the thought of spending the rest of the afternoon slash evening on her own. Every action has a reaction and not all of them are good, healthy, logical ones.

Edward remembered driving her around for what felt like hours that afternoon, waiting for her to decide where she wanted to go or what she wanted to do… Heck, he'd even offered to drop her off down at the police station.

She had not liked that suggestion one single bit. The conversation had gone something like this:

"No. I do not want to go there!"

"Why not? If the Chief asks why you're there, just say you heard strange noises outside the house or something..."

"That would only raise a shit ton of questions. As far as he's concerned, I'm supposed to be spending the evening with Jake and his dad."

"So…? Plans changes all the time. Simply tell him something came up and you left their house earlier than planned."

"Sure, but he knows I hate visiting him at work, so the minute he sees me there, he'll know something's off."

"Well, something is off. That's the honest truth. You already know what I think…. You should talk to him, before Jake or his dad gets a chance to tell their vers-…."

"Fucking stop that," she snapped. "This is not going to turn into one of those he-said-she-said situations. I'm not going to tell my dad what happened, because NOTHING happened, so just shut up about it already! You weren't even there, so you're not entitled to an opinion."

"Fine, just tell me where to drop you off and you'll be rid of me and my opinions for good."

She'd flipped him a finger. Then, after a brief internal deliberation, she went on asking, "The diner is open all night on Saturdays, right?"

"Don't be ridiculous," he snorted in response. "I'm not dropping you off at the diner. That's right next doors to Volterra, where all the drunkards end up on the weekends."

"I'm not planning on spending the night there. I only need a place to wait until I hear back from Angie."

"And what if you don't hear back from her? The Webers could be on a pilgrimage to Rome for all you know," Edward sighed, putting the car in motion again.

He didn't drop her off at the diner. Instead he circled the outer edges of Forks for another 45 minutes, hoping Bella would come to her senses. She didn't, of course.

Exhausting all other options, he eventually brought her home with him, because… what else was he supposed to do?

So that's how they ended up sitting in their usual 'hang out' spot - on the narrow staircase on the outside of the north facing wall of the garage, above which Edward had his bedroom.

The only difference from the norm was, perhaps, that the cigarette they were passing back and forth between them was a 'regular' one. Because, unlike Bella's father, Carlisle actually had an evening off for once and was due to pull up on the drive way any minute.

The thing was, his father would most certainly expect to see Edward present at dinner. He wouldn't insist on it or anything, but with Carlisle and Edward being the only two members of the family home this particular weekend, Edward had a sinking suspicion his father was planning some stupid father-son bonding shit.

Now, this was a bit of a dilemma, because where would Swan wait while Edward had dinner with daddy-o? Not in Edward's room, that's for sure. Of course, he could invite her to tag along for dinner. He was sure his father wouldn't mind… but that would be one awkward meal for sure! Having a girl over, even just a friend, would warrant questions and pique curiosity, especially seeing as the girl in question had a suspiciously looking hand injury, complete with wrecked knuckles and swelling…

Maybe he could sneak her into the Alice's room, or maybe-…

"Hey Cullen, are you even listening to me?" Bella suddenly snapped.

"Yeah, of course I am. You were saying your New Years was un-fuckin-eventful-…"

"And that was an understatement. Can't believe I'm actually eager for school to start agaiiiin ," she sighed, seemingly dragging the last word out as if hissing it out through her teeth.

"Are you sure you aren't cold, Swan?" he asked for what was probably the third time in fifteen minutes. He'd already offered her his own jacket, so they could sit out there and talk a little while longer. "Because, it sure sounds like you're cold."

"Nah, I was cold before, but right now I'm good," she insisted.

He was almost 100% sure she was lying. Even if there was no wind where they sat, it was fucking freezing and getting colder by the minute.

"What is it with you girls and clothes?" Edward grumbled, handing over the cigarette to her. "You always wear the most impractical outfits…"

"Yeah well, when I picked out my clothes this morning, I wasn't planning on participating in any outdoorsy activities… Speaking of planning and outdoorsy temperatures, is tonight was gonna be the night I'd get to see the inside of the super swanky, hipster pad, that is your bedroom?"

"You'd like that wouldn't you," Edward responded with a shake of his head. "Honestly, if you're expecting something swanky, you'll be disappointed. It's just four walls and a bed… the basics…"

"What?! You mean no sexy hot tub, no beer cooler, no LED Mood Lights? Aww, just when I figure that I've got you pegged, you go and surprise me."

"It's clean and tidy… and it's private. That's good enough for me," he shrugged.

"Seriously Edward, I know you're iffy about other people touching your personal belongings, but I promise I'll be on my best behavior. I'll be the most well behaved guest you've ever had in your room. I'll even laugh at all your jokes. Not even Jasper laughs at your jokes…."

"That is true. I don't trust you though. I bet you just want to get in there, so that you can get your hands on my weed stash. Come on, fess up!"

"Yes, you caught me," Bella deadpanned. "That's exactly what I'm planning."

" answer! That was a joke and you didn't laugh."

"Sorry… Obviously, it's entirely up to you to decide where you want to move this party. No pressure or anything… But if we could relocate someplace indoors, then that would be… nice. "

"I know. Listen, I need to figure out what to do about dad," Edward gesture vaguely with his hand towards the main house. "He's bringing home pizza and we're supposed to have dinner together. God only knows what he's planning afterwards. Last time we had the house to ourselves he forced me to play Fifa with him for three hours straight."

"Aww, he wants to spend time with you. That's kind of sweet, actually."

"Not sweet, pathetic is more like it. You'd think he'd have good hand-eye coordination, with him being a surgeon and all, but nope… He really is terr-.. "

Edward stopped in mid-sentence when the unmistakable sound of tires on gravel was heard and he realized Carlisle's car was pulling into the driveway.

"Crap, there he is now!"

"Do what you have to do, but please, let me wait for you in your room."

"Alone? Unsupervised? No, I don't think so!."

"I promise I won't touch anything. It's just for a little bit, an hour or two…Please, please, please!"

"What happened to' I don't want to be alone tonight, Edward'?"

"It's better than waiting out here in the dark. Please, I'm begging here…"

"The things I do for you," Edward sighed and held up a finger, indicating for her to wait. "Don't move. I'll be right back…"

Then, he sprinted down the stairs and rounded the corner to intercept his father before he could leave the garage.

The conversation that followed went something like this:

"You're late!"

"Oh, you scared me son! My last surgery ran long, you know how it is."

"Whatever… Where the fuck do you keep the Pepto-Bismol?"

"Oh, what's the matter? Not feeling good?"

"Obviously I'm feeling peachy, that's why I'm out here asking for Pepto. You think you could stop waving that pizza box in my face and answer my question; where is it? I don't particularly feel like spending the night is the crapper…"

"Right, sorry. If you follow me, I can get you some Imodium."

So yeah…he may have led his father to believe he had the runs. 'Shitty' idea sure, but at least it got him out of the never ending dinner that his father had planned for them.

.

…

.

Obviously, inviting a girl into your room for a little bit, doesn't automatically mean anything else will come out of it. Only in this case she didn't just stay for a little bit, no, she ended up staying till the wee hours of the morning.

Bella's original intention had been to only stay for a little while. She left her friend a voice message and a handful of texts, but after two hours she still hadn't gotten any form of response from the Weber girl.

Someone that did, indeed, make the effort to keep in touch throughout the night though, was Carlisle.

' _How are you feeling, son? Can I get you anything? Have you been drinking enough water?'_

Distrustful hypocrite, that one… Whatever happened to trusting your kids and respecting their personal privacy?

His father probably suspected the real reason he'd ditched dinner was so that he could sneak off to a party or something. He showed up in person, not once but twice, to check up on Edward, before turning in for the night.

True to her word, Bella really was the 'perfect' guest and hid underneath Edward's bed both times, without grumbling or complaining too much about it afterwards.

She did however, complain, when Edward made her wait for another two and a half hours, before fetching a zip lock bag from the bathroom containing a few neatly rolled joints.

Because, yes, there had been weed involved that night. Well duh, of course there had been weed involved.

Normally, he didn't care if his parents caught him with alcohol or pot, or both. It wasn't like his parents didn't already know about his self medicating ways. They didn't like it, but all they ever did about it was grounding him for a month or two, or take away his car and phone privileges. Meh. It was nothing he couldn't deal with...

However, he suspected hell would break loose if he was ever caught smoking pot with the police chief's only daughter– especially if Chief Swan, himself, got wind of it. His own parents wouldn't take it lightly, either - girls are supposed to be protected and looked after, whether they want or not.

Needless to say, Edward didn't want to risk anything, so he didn't bring out his stash until he was sure his father had retreated to his bedroom. This much anticipated event occurred at roughly ten thirty, which was when they witnessed the lights going off on the bottom floor of his parent's mansion like house.

Now, fast forward a joint (or three) and both Edward and Bella were pleasantly high and having a rather enjoyable time. They'd returned inside again (because no matter how freaking cold it was, smoking inside was a no-no) and was now lying sprawled out, side by side on Edward's bed, just chilling, making jokes, talking about nothing in particular. There was a movie playing on the flat screen mounted on the wall opposite of the bed, but they weren't really watching.

At some point there, Bella realized she hadn't checked her phone in over an hour. Lo and behold, as she checked it this time, there actually was a string of text messages from a slightly apologetic Angela Weber.

' _Sorry, I couldn't help you earlier. My phone died and I had no charger with me. Hugs, Angie.'_

' _I'm home now, but I'm guessing you no longer need a ride?'_

' _Don't hesitate to call. Actually, if you see this before midnight, please do call! I'm slowly dying from Christmas break boredom here!'_

' _Guess, you've gone to bed already '_

Apparently, Angie' had been visiting her auntie all evening and apparently her battery had died and she had been too lazy to bring her charger or something…

Honestly, Edward didn't pay the actual messages that much attention. He just knew had to stop Bella before she could forward any kind of response to Angela. There was just no way he could let her head on over to the Weber's house this late in the evening (surely it was after midnight now…?) and especially not while reeking of pot. That was simply not a viable option.

Obviously, Angela wouldn't agree to anything without checking with her parents first and if the parents got involved then chief Swan would most definitely be informed… So yeah, Bella clearly hadn't though this one through properly!

"But I can't NOT answer her," Bella pouted. "She'll think I've been kidnapped or something."

"Not if you do as I say and text her that you're fine and that you'll speak with her in the morning."

"You can't tell me what to do," she complained, with a whine to her voice.

"I can and I will!"

He ended up snatching Bella's phone out of her hand mid-typing.

"Hey, that was rude! Give me that!" she demanded, rolling over to face him.

"Whatever, you'll get over it," he responded, holding the phone out of her reach. "I'm only trying to watch out for both our interests here."

She could have easily snatched her pone back, but she didn't. It almost appeared as though she deliberately refrained from touching him - which, okay, pretty much was standard behavior for them.

Instead of tackling him (like his sister would have done if it was her precious iphone he'd stolen), Bella tried glaring and scowling mightily at him. This had absolutely no effect on him what so ever…. other than making him laugh a bit, because she looked like an angry kitten. Her attempts were rather pitiful, honestly. He'd been expecting more.

"Come on, hand it over! You don't want me messing with your stuff, now do you?" she warned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No, I don't, but I know you wouldn't do that, so…" he responded with a confidence he didn't necessarily possess. "Seriously, this is for your own good, Swan. If you don't trust me, trust my brother. No texting, emailing or checking in on social media accounts while puffing, drinking or masturbating -that's my brother's golden rule. He swears by it."

"Ha, ha," she snorted. "Very funny, listen Emmett's not here right now and you're being a meanie, big time. I think I wanna go home now. I should have left ages ago," she said, dropping her arms to her side in defeat. "In fact, what am I still doing here?"

"Yeah that's what I'm wondering too," Edward said with shake of his head. He did, however, finally hand her back her phone. "Don't do anything stupid, alright! If you wanna go home, I'll take you there myself. I'll even stay until you fall asleep, or until your father gets there. He'll shoot me for sure, but no worries, okay?!"

"You don't have to, but thanks. I appreciate the offer," she said, sounding more 'collected' than she had all night. "I mean, I'd like it if you could walk me home, yes, but you don't have to stay and risk running into Charlie," she clarified.

"What time will your dad be home anyway, Swan?"

"Not until-…"She checked the time, then glanced back at him. "Oops! Charlie's been home for at least an hour now. "

"What?! You've got to be joking!" he half groaned, half whined as he threw his head back against the bed. "We're doomed. How much time do you reckon we have before your dad shows up with his gun drawn?!" he joked, looking at the door as if he really did expect chief Swan to storm in right that very second.

"Nah, relax," she responded, shaking her head. "He's just pulled a double shift, so he probably went straight for his room and collapsed into bed, without even bothering to check if I had made it home or not…"

"Probably? That's not very reassuring."

"Well, if he'd bothered to check, he'd known I wasn't there and then he'd be lighting up my phone for sure right about now. So yeah, I'm pretty sure he's gone to bed."

"Oh…okay. Yeah, that's true," Edward ran a hand through his hair. "Let's get you home ASAP though."

"Yeah, we should do that…we should get going, like straight away," she agreed, but didn't move a muscle to get up.

Edward didn't move either. What he did do, however, was to look at her more closely– for a long, silent minute while, trying to figure her out. Her words didn't match her actions. It was almost like she didn't want to leave. Was that it?

Almost as if reading his thoughts her eyes seemed to grow unnaturally large in the dim light from the TV screen and he found he couldn't look away.

"What's going on?" she asked suspiciously, her voice a bit high-pitched. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

' _Because I don't think you really want to leave and I don't think I really want you too…'_ The words nearly escaped Edward's lips. Fortunately, he managed to rein it in.

It was true though, the initial anxiety that came with having someone that wasn't family, or a close friend, in his room had long since worn off. He didn't mind having her there. In fact, her presence eased him, making him feel almost... comfortable, which was uncomfortable in itself. Nothing in his life had ever felt easy... especially not coexisting with other people…

"Nothing's going on," was what he muttered, as he finally managed to tear his eyes away to stare at the ceiling. "I was just-… Your hair looks funny," he offered with a shrug that probably was anything but convincing.

"It does not." She narrowed her eyes at him, like she knew he was talking shit.

"It does. It's flat on one side and sticking up on the other," he insisted, gesturing vaguely with his hand.

"Says the guy walking around with permanent bed head," she shot back.

"Ouch! I get told on regular basis that my hair is very sexy. Ask any girl at school, if you don't believe me," he joked, secretly relieved she wasn't making a bigger deal than this out of his admittedly odd behavior.

"Eh… each to their own, I guess. I mean don't hate it, but I wouldn't go as far as calling it appealing, or sexy. "

"I'll have you know, hair like this doesn't happen by itself. It takes an extraordinary amount of time and energy to perfect this quaff every morning."

"Sorry. I didn't realize fixing your hair was such a strenuous activity," Bella quipped, shaking her head.

"All jokes aside. I'm sensing that you don't really want to leave," Edward suddenly heard himself ask, despite his earlier decision not to put her on the spot like this. He blamed the weed.

Silence stretched for a good twenty seconds before gave any kind of response.

"Nah, not yet," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper."Is that alright?"

"Yeah, but set your f-ing alarm, Swan. There will be no falling asleep, no staying the night. You really do need to get home before your dad wakes up in the morning."

"Of course, I didn't mean-… I'm definitely planning on heading home to sleep in my own bed."

"Good, then that's settled."

They spent the next twenty minutes bickering over an assortment of completely random things.

Then, suddenly Bella stopped talking and rolled onto her side to look at him.

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked, a bit uncomfortable being scrutinized so closely by her.

"No, you're being pretty great… supportive even. I didn't expect that, so…. thanks! Actually, I feel I should thank you again for driving all the way out to La push when I needed a ride. And for what you're doing right now. I know you don't normally bring other people up here… I really appreciate this, okay?"

"Uhm…. Okay Swan," Edward said slowly. "I just wish you'd tell me what, exactly, happened with Black. It's kind of difficult being supportive when you don't have the full story. "

"That's not true, you KNOW what happened. I've told you what happened," Bella protested.

"No, what I know is that the bastard did something you weren't comfortable. And that when you tried to tell him to stop it, he wouldn't listen, so you had no choice but to punch him in the face. But what exactly are we talking about here?" Edward prodded. "Did he try and smooch you? Or did he touch you inappropriately? Did he hurt you? Did he force himself-.."

She interrupted him before he could finish. "No, it wasn't like that. He didn't hurt me; he would NEVER hurt me… He knows Charlie would kill him, if he ever-… you know. It was stupid. I think I might have overreacted a tiny bit. I mean, I don't regret what I did, but I made a big deal out of something that, looking back, seems a bit stupid. It was nothing…really."

"If it was nothing, then just tell me what happened already," Edward suggested calmly, despite his rising agitation. "Tell me and let me decide what I think about it…"

To be honest, he didn't expect her to say anything, except maybe repeating the whole 'it was nothing' bit again, so it came as a minor shock when she actually started explaining instead of just evading the subject again.

"Well, you see, Jake and I were on the couch in his living room, watching a movie - Die Hard, the one with the payphone and the riddles - an oldie, but it's one of his favorites… " she trailed off, tugging nervously at a strand of hair.

"It's a classic," Edward nodded, keeping his expression neutral. "Don't tell me you guys got into an argument over whether Bruce Willis or Samuel Jackson is the better actor? Is that it? "

Her lips twisted a bit before her face smoothed. "No, that's not it… Uhm, so we were on the couch, watching the movie and I guess I must have fallen asleep on him." She paused again as if gauging Edward's reaction.

He simply gestured for her to continue. He didn't trust himself to say anything yet, not until he'd heard the whole story.

"It has happened before, me falling asleep around him, I mean. There is nothing particularly unusual about that… However, next thing I knew, I was waking up to find a hand inside my top - a hand that wasn't my own and had no business being there, clasping around one of my tits!"

"An unauthorized boob-grab? What the actual F? And while you were ASLEEP?!" Edward said with disbelief and a great deal of irritation.

"Yeah, that was my reaction too," she agreed, with a visible shudder. "I scrambled to get away from him so fast, I nearly fell out of the couch and-..."

"And you had to hit him to get him off of you?" he asked interrupting her again, feeling a strange sense of something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

On one hand he wanted to kill the bastard, yet he knew his reaction shouldn't be the one that mattered. Not when Bella was right there, on the bed next to him, expressing concerns that she'd been overreacting, that she had somehow done something to warrant waking up and finding grabby hands down her top…

"No, I hit him because he was being an insensitive jerk, even as he apologized. "

"I repeat again 'what the actual fuck'?!"

"It sounds worse than it was though. This is a bit embarrassing, but I kind of, sort of, talk in my sleep... like actual conversation talking."

"I don't get it. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, Jake claims he honestly didn't realize I was still asleep, because of the noises I was making. Apparently, I was wriggling against him and saying stuff like 'feels nice' and 'more please' and… and I might have been like sighing and moaning too. "

Edward forced his anger down, considering this new information. "Bella, I don't care if you were reciting fucking Shakespeare with the enthusiasm worthy of a very convincing porn star. He didn't even bother to make sure you were awake and actually lucid enough to be consenting. "

Decisively, he got up and grabbed his shoes from the small mat beside the door. He had to get out, had to get air, fresh air…

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Where do you think I'm going?" he growled back at her, his jaw set. "That fucker needs to learn to keep his hands to himself." His arms fell at his sides, his hands balling into tight fists – if he didn't get out soon, he'd end up punching a hole in the wall.

"Don't!" she protested angrily, swinging her legs over the bed to stand. "It would only make it worse. He didn't really mean any-.."

"Unbelievable! " Edward pinched the bridge of his nose , trying to calm himself. "You're DEFENDING him? How can you not see that what he did was wrong?!"

"Of course, it was wrong." She grabbed onto his arm, holding him back. It was the first deliberate touch she'd initiated between them since… well, ever possibly.

"If you go after him, he'll-… " She cut herself short, shaking her head. "I just don't want any trouble. Promise you won't go after him! Please! I don't want any more drama to come from this-…"

"You don't want any trouble, no drama!" Edward shook his head with a derisive hoot. "He's the one causing trouble, acting like an immature idiot, treating you like shit. This wasn't the first time you've had problem with him, you've said so yourself. You need to let him know you're done with him. You need to cut him out of your life once and for all."

"I can't really do that though. Billy and Charlie are tight and this town is so god damn small you can't avoid anyone for long. I need to coexist with him- with all of them - for another two years at least. AND he's not all bad, he been a good friend since I got here -always held my back, always been on my side. Please, I don't need you to go make it any more complicated than it already is. Also, I don't want YOU to get in trouble because of me."

"Your reasoning is fucking stupid," he rolled his shoulders back, pushing her hand off of him. "How can he have your back, if you can't even trust him? He isn't a friend, if you can't be alone in a room with him."

"Maybe so, but can we please drop this for now? I promise I'll give it some thought later when I am more clear-headed, okay?"

"Fine," he agreed with a nod of his head. "Maybe I should walk you home now."

"Maybe you should. Speaking of clear-headed though- this conversation very efficiently killed my buzz. You think you could get your sweet stash out and roll up a little something for the road," she suggested looking up at him with those damned brown, earnest eyes of hers and oh. he wasn't nearly as immune to her as he would like to think.

.

….

.

Half an hour later they were back on Edward's bed again. Because who in their right mind wants to walk around in the freezing cold, when you can lay on a cozy, warm bed and watch the ceiling spin and whirl and dance above your head?

"Edward, I'm bored," Bella complained. "Can we try something?"

"Try what?" he responded. Something in her voice had him looking over at her suspiciously.

"Relax, I'm not gonna ask you to kiss me or turn this into a make out session anything."

"Okay. What do you suggest then?"

"Can I touch your hair?"

"My hair? Why do you wanna touch my hair?"

"Because… just because. Do I have to have a reason?"

"You don't even like my hair. You said so yourself, remember?"

"It's not like I hate it or anything… I mean, I'm sure you do the best you can with what you have," she teased him. "I just want to touch it. Is that so weird?"

"Depends… You got a hair pulling fetish going on, or something, Swan? Because that would be a bit weird."

"Meh, I'd say it's more of a scalp-rubbing fetish…" Bella answered, straight-faced and Edward honestly couldn't tell whether she was serious or not.

"That's even weirder, if you ask me," he responded, still eying her cautiously.

"A good scalp massage is supposed to be very relaxing. Just consider it an experiment. Who knows, you may even like it."

"Ha, not likely, but whatever." He felt himself shudder and almost flinch, as she reached out for him.

"Wait, I need the TV on for this to work," he said, ducking away.

"What? Why?!"

"Because background noise makes me less fidgety….it drowns out my thoughts…Besides, my bedroom, my rules." He pushed himself up to a sitting position and got out of the bed.

"You sound like I'm about to torture you," Bella commented as she waited for him to return.

"Well you kinda are…" he pointed out.

He flipped the channels, once he was satisfied he'd found the most brainless program of them all he came back to the bed. In the meanwhile, Bella had managed to position herself sitting cross legged at the center of the bed.

"You're awfully far away. Come closer," she beckoned with a motion of her fingers.

"Can't believe I'm agreeing to this, he muttered, but moved closer all the same. He maneuvered around so that they ended up sitting face to face. He did, however, make sure to leave plenty of air between them… because…. Well, just because…

"Aren't this little experiment of yours going to hurt your hand, Swan?"

"Probably, but I'll live…" she answered. "Stop making excuses. I'm really not doing this to make you uncomfortable. If it gets too much for you, Cullen, or if you don't like it, just let me know. It's as simple as that."

Edward rolled his eyes at her, but nodded that he had understood.

Then, without further warning her hands slowly made their way into his hair. They were barely touching at first, but gradually she started to apply more pressure. It didn't feel too awkward or weird. In fact, it felt pretty nice.

Maintaining eye contact wasn't exactly something he excelled at, so he let his gaze drop down to her collarbone instead. Probably a mistake as it gave him a spectacular view of her chest and every little move she made had her tits bouncing provocatively.

What the hell? An involuntary shudder crept over him; he so didn't need those kind of thoughts.

"Oh, I felt that," Bella commented with a chuckle, but her voice had a little catch in it, revealing a hint of… anticipation. "You're liking this, just like I knew you would."

"Fine Swan, I admit, you're good at this. Happy?" he said, to distract his mind. Rather than continuing staring at her chest, he closed his eyes and leaned his head forward, giving her better access.

"Don't sound so surprised. I told you, you would like it."

Her her fingers were full on massaging his scalp now, from his forehead all the way to the back of his neck, in rolling caresses.

It was an effort not to arch into the touch of cool fingers, every time she reached the sensitive skin at the nape of his neck. Surely this was not intended to be anywhere near as sensual as it felt… Why did he fell like he was being tricked here?

He pulled back a bit. "I thought you said this wasn't going to turn into a make out session..."

"It doesn't have to turn into anything. I can stop right now," Bella answered him, stilling her hands. "Aren't you curious, though?" she added, almost like an afterthought.

"Curious of what?"

"We have this weird spark between us, without even trying. What's up with that? I mean, I'm not a people person. I don't really flirt and rarely initiate any kind of interactions with guys in general. I keep to myself. It's better that way. I don't want o encourage anything that will never lead to anything anyways. And you-…" she trailed off gesturing with her hand for him to fill in the blank.

"And me what?" he asked, because he had no idea where she was going with this.

"Not trying to be mean, or make fun of you for your OCD or anything. It's just that you're always worried about being clean and staying clean and germfree and you seem to have issues with touching and being touched by others-.."

"Only in certain situations," he interrupted her.

"Yeah, I know, I get that. What I mean is, we both have issues, and probably should stay far away from one another. Two wrongs don't make a right. Regardless of that though, there is an attraction, a pull, a drawing to… I can't be the only one to feel it."

"Bella," he said her name in a low warning tone. "Don't go there…Everything you just said about me is somewhat true. I've got good reasons for not dating and not getting into relationships. I'm not someone you should be wasting your time on. Find someone better suited to experiment with, alright!"

"Hello, I'm not exactly looking for anything serious either," she objected. "I don't think I'm in the right head space for a relationship right now. If I didn't know that already, I'd say what happened with Jake pretty much cemented it for me-…"

"Wait," he interrupted her. "Before you say anything else, let me just set you straight about one thing - Jacob Black is a JERK," Edward stated with conviction. "I wouldn't put too much weight into anything he's said or done around you."

"I don't base my decisions around Jake. I didn't mean it like that. This has nothing to do with him.-..."

"Good… just putting it out there again that what he did was wrong. That guy deserved a good punch to the face. He had it coming and I hope you broke his fucking nose. "

"Unfortunately, I think his nose is still intact. But I don't want to even think about him anymore. I just want to see where the sparks takes us."

As she said that, he realized she was touching him again… Her hands had moved on to his shoulders and maybe it was because she did it so slowly that all he felt were goose bumps forming on his arms — no stress, no anxiety, no discomfort of any kind.

The only thing still bugging him was… well, the jerk from La push. "Swan, are you sure this isn't a delayed reaction to what Black did to you?" he felt compelled to ask one final time. "I mean, I don't blame you if that's the case. It's just that I can think of tons of better ways to get even with someone that doesn't involve getting hot and heavy with someone else. You're being very forward with this and… I guess, I just want to make sure you're doing this for the right reasons."

"Your concern is touching, but I know what I'm doing. I'm not a freaking virgin," she snapped, stilling her movements. "I can make sound decisions and exercise good judgment even when the pressure is on."

Edward's head shot up at that. "Not what I asked, but okay… fair enough."

"I'm going to straddle you now," she warned, pushing herself up to stand on her knees. "…as the next part of this experiment. I'm going to sit on your lap and here's the challenging part – you're going to place your hands on my hips."

"What's the challenge in that?" he couldn't help but snort. "I know what I'm doing. I'm not a freaking virgin," he added, mimicking her voice and mannerisms with such perfection he could tell she was fighting back a smile.

"Well then, get on with it!"

"You're so impatient, Swan," he shook his head at her, but let her place his hands where she wanted them. "There will be no kissing, just so you know," he warned, as she went ahead and situated herself in his lap.

"On the mouth," she said, as if they were hammering out negotiations and trade agreements. "There will be no kissing on the mouth, but I'm gonna be kissing the spot behind your ear and drag my lips down the base of your neck and you're going to love it."

"You seem very confident, all of the sudden," he answered, his voice not quite as steady as he would have liked.

"Any reason why I shouldn't be?" She ran a finger along his jaw line, eliciting a low shudder from him, as she gave her answer.

"I thought you said you didn't flirt? What do you call what you're doing now?"

"Experimenting," she suggested, dipping her voice low and biting down on her lower lip in a mockery of innocence. "Scratching an itch, letting out some steam, releasing some pent-up energy… Honestly, I'm hella nervous here, because I'm not exactly good at initiation stuff… I don't think I've ever done anything quite as forward as this before."

"How do you normally do it then?" Edward asked .

"Do what?"

"How do you hook up with someone new? How do you pick up guys? I mean, if you don't flirt and never initiate anything…. I guess I'm just curious, seeing as you said you are no virgin. Do they just come in hoards and line up outside your house? "

Deciding to test the waters a bit, he moved his hands up her back. Between her shoulders he gently applied a bit of pressure and brought her chest closer to his.

She responded by leaning forward, whispering in his ear, "You want to know a secret, Edward?"

He nodded, eagerly.

"There's only been one."

"One guy since you moved here?"

She shook her head. "I've only slept with guy… like ever. I'll probably regret telling you this, but he was the older brother of my best friend. I'd been crushing on him for months and I wasn't subtle about it. I got tongue-tied and blushed whenever he was around. In my defense though, I was fourteen at the time, so…."

"How much older are we talking about here, and what happened?"

"Five years older and he waited til my fifteen birthday before he slept with me. The relationship, if you can even call it that, lasted a grand total of teen days, before he replaced me with the next flavor of the month. To make it even 'better', my friend found out about it and got extremely angry….at me, not her brother. She gave me the silent treatment for months afterwards."

"Sorry, to hear that, Swan," Edward responded warily, taking his hands off of her. "I hope he didn't, like hurt you, or anyt-…"

"No, it wasn't like that," she cut him off before he could finish. "As far as first times go, it wasn't awful. I mean it wasn't great either, it was pretty awkward and a little painful, but unlike other jerks I've encountered, this one was at least careful, not to scare or scar me… Annnd, I don't feel like talking about this anymore," she declared with a determined shake of her head.

"Okay," he said with a frown, clasping his hands together and placing them on his head. "Pick another subject. You wanna talk about the weather? School? Hey, I know, let's talk about getting you home to your own bed, Swan."

"No," she shook her head. "I think it's only fair I get my turn to ask you a personal question. Don't you agree?"

"You can ask, sure… but I'm not promising I'll answer."

"Relax, I'm not going to ask how you lost your virginity or how many partners you've had. But you do have sex, occasionally, right?... with girls?"

Edward's head shot up again at that. "Well, yeah. I'm not a monk or anything. And, yes, I'm straight. Was that your question?"

"No, I already knew that. Your reputation is preceding you. I just wanted to hear it from you, rather than assume anything. The thing is, you have quite the bad boy/player reputation going for you at school, and you seem to be very popular with the female student body, and yet-…"

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear, Swan," he interrupted her. "There are certain kinds of stories that tend to get more exaggerated the more they are told. "

"I know. You didn't let me finish. I was going to say despite your reputation, I've yet I've never even seen you smile at a girl, let alone flirt with one, so… I guess, my question is the very same question you asked me earlier. How do you go about finding someone to hook up with when the urge strikes? Don't tell me you have your brother do the groundwork for you?!"

"Heavens no! Imagine if he'd try to set me up with someone like Rosalie," he shuddered. "I can get girls on my own just fine."

"Let me guess, you lure them in with the promise of making them popular and then you seal the deal with your stellar weed?"

"Hey, now… No bribes or lures needed," he objected, indignantly. "All I have to do is give them my smoldering sex stare and it's a done deal."

"What smoldering sex stare? Because right now all I'm getting from you are dead eyes and a slack expressionless face."

"Well, that would be because I don't turn 'it' on for just anyone," he teased her.

"What, I'm not pretty enough for you? Is that it?" she asked, making a pouty face.

"No, you're plenty pretty," he admitted, even though he knew she was just baiting him. "Anyone telling you otherwise is either delusional or having a good joke at your expense."

Without realizing it, he'd reached out and cupped her face, unable to resist tracing his thumb along her cheek.

He saw her suck in a breath. "There they are again – those annoying sparks," she muttered. "Where do they come from? We've never even 'done' anything yet…"

"I feel them too," Edward admitted, before he could stop himself.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, and I agree, it's weird… They don't go away, do they? Even when we're just hurling insults at each other, they are always there."

"I know. They make me forget who I am, where I am. Being around you, make me forget all the shitty things life has thrown at me," she murmured, breathlessly. "And, honestly, sometimes I just need to forget for a little bit. Like right now… Make me forget, Edward. Please…"

After that, it happened fast. One minute they were glancing at each other apprehensively and the next minute they were full on making out.

As she squirmed in his lap, pushing her sweet ass into his crotch, he was almost embarrassed at how fast he got hard.

They paused for a second to pull their sweaters and t-shirts over their heads. Her simple cotton sports bra was doing nothing to hide her petite breasts and hard nipples. He was itching to touch them, but before he did so, there were things he needed to say…. she needed to know his terms… This couldn't continue if she didn't agree to follow his rules.

"I've got rules. They are HARD limits, no exceptions," he said, or rather panted since he, too, was out of breath at this point. "No kissing on the mouth, no staying the night, no telling anyone, and no falling in love. Oh and condom is a must, obviously."

"Who would I tell?" she countered, sounding frustrated and annoyed. Annoyed? He pulled back to look at her.

"I mean it, who would I tell? Your sister? I've already lost a friend that way. My dad? He'd never let me out of the house again. The girls at schoo-…"

"I was thinking Black," he interrupted her. "I've already warned you. Don't use this to try and get back at him."

"Paranoid much? I've already said he has nothing to do with this."

"Yeah? You talk a lot of shit, though. How about you show me who gets you all weak in the knees... "

He brushed his lips against her collar bone, scratched his teeth against her skin as he made his way down to her breasts.

Her head tilted back and she moaned softly.

"May I?" he asked, not wanting to go any further without permission.

"Please," she breathed.

He circled one nipple through the cotton layer of her bra with his tongue. He sucked it into his mouth, fabric and everything.

Her head tilted back and she moaned softly.

And so the snowball was in motion. Yes, sex was had that night, and while it wasn't phenomenal, it was certainly promising. So much so, that they kept falling into bed (or sometimes the backseat of Edward's Volvo) together again and again.

The rules had to be reworked after a while, because two months in there were suddenly loads of kissing happening, on the mouth and everywhere else. And the 'no spending the night' one, was broken on several occasions. They added a 'no talking about other people while naked together' rule and a 'no leaving marks above the neckline' rule. They also crossed out shower sex as being unsafe and too slippery, after a near condom fail experience. Apparently you really can slip and fall into someone, or in this case drop someone onto something, not yet properly covered with protection.

Surely, you can't get pregnant that way though?

Reaching for his phone, Edward spent the next twenty five minutes reading up on sperm content and pre-ejaculatory fluid.

….

.


	47. Chapter 47

_**AN: I'm packing for a week long vacation with my parents. As much as I love my parents, I know from experience**_  
 ** _I always feel like I need a vacation when I return from a vacation with them. So it will probably be two weeks before I update next. Sorry! Just thought I'd give you a heads up._ **

**.**

 **-=[ Isabella Swan, 17 y.o, - the past]=-**

 **.**

 **Chapter 47**

.

Edward's pov

.

Edward felt like he was living in a vacuum, a gap in reality that would eventually suffocate him if it went on too long.

Three days had passed since shit went down with Bella -three days with very little news filtering through to the general public. Anyone with a pair of eyes could see that there was a lot of intense police activity going on, though. They seemed to be searching for something. The immediate area around the pond and the forest surrounding had been fine combed and now they appeared to be widening their search area. Edward had to admit that it was beginning to look like his father had been right; it was just a matter of time before the police dogs and their handlers would reach the Cullen property.

How this all tied in with Swan and her current situation, was a bit of a mystery. As far as Edward knew, Bella was in hospital, recovering from surgery. He assumed the police weren't out fin combing the woods because of something she might have said, or admitted to. In fact, he was pretty sure Swan was still drugged-up and debilitated to speak at all. At least that was what his father had hinted at, during one of his rare appearances at home.

Edward supposed he should be thankful that his parents — especially his father— was in the 'know' about what was happening over at Forks General at the moment, or else the current news drought would have been even more torturous.

Unfortunately, at times it felt like not even the parental unit was all that forthcoming with information. Due to strict patient privacy policies, they probably knew more than they could share. That didn't stop Alice, from being Alice though; she kept bombarding their parents relentlessly with new questions every chance she got.

His sister's non-stop chatter and endless inquiries (read; interrogations C.I.A style) were definitely taking its toll on Edward, but in a way, his twin was a blessing in disguise. Thanks to Alice, he got to know stuff, without exposing his own interest in the matter.

For example, Alice had gotten Esme to slip up about the first round of DNA tests. The result was back and it had been conclusive - Bella Swan was the mother of those two babies. There was no room for any doubts anymore.

Edward's mind swam at that thought… for several reasons. For starters he still couldn't believe Swan had been pregnant in the first place. He didn't question it per say, it just boggled his mind. How could he not have seen it? How could he not have known?

The other thing that had him perplexed was the plural aspect of the word 'babies'… there had been two of them, twins. Now that scared the shit out of him, because of… well genetics and stuff. Could there be a hereditary factor there? After an intense google session, searching for answers, he realized that being an IVF twin, and a male one at that, did not in any way increase someone's odds of fathering twins in the future – Phew! With that one sorted, money was still on Black being the one knocking her up.

Another thing Edward learned from Alice (who'd tricked their father into revealing stuff he shouldn't) was that that Swan had been in emergency surgery for almost twelve! hours and that her condition had been critical for a bit, but that she seemed to be stable now. Naturally she was still very weak from the procedure and the follow-up treatment, but she was expected to make a full recovery– or at least very close to full recovery.

Edward could only hope his conscience was paying attention to this piece of information. Because having images of dying Swans flashing before your eyes, every time you try to lie down to rest, gets old real fast.

 _'You hear that?! No more dying Swans, alright?!'_

In fact, things were looking up a bit even for Baby Swan (formally Baby X), who had survived another 24 hours. According to what Carlisle had heard from his colleagues, the baby's condition had not improved, but it had not worsened either. The transfer to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Seattle had been successful and while the future was still uncertain, at least now the baby was in the best hands possible.

Edward's thoughts went briefly to the other one, the fetus that never got a chance live and breathe. He'd heard the wild and morbid rumors the press conference (and the revelation of that second baby) had sparked. He could only hope, for Swan's sake, that the autopsy was carried out quickly, before the speculations got out of hand.

Speaking of speculations, a quick glance at the clock told him it was just a matter of minutes before Alice would be home with the latest gossip from Forks high. He seriously contemplated hiding, before deciding against it. Somehow she always found him no matter where he chose to hide. And also, if he was being completely honest with himself, he wanted to know what was being said about Swan at school and by whom… and also, if his own name was mentioned at all…

Edward had tried going to school on Tuesday - the day after Bella had collapsed - but as soon as he got there, he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. Normally it didn't bother him that much when people were staring and whispering…. Because this was high school, of course people were talking shit about each other behind their backs.

What bothered him though was how quickly shit turned into a complete slander of Swan's character. He'd been expecting a heavy dosage of gossip, yes, but all this trash talk came a bit out of left field. And, this had been before any DNA results had been made 'official', so at that point in time, the stuff that was being said was just baseless speculations.

It was all gloating and shit-talking. Suddenly every guy with a functional dick, claimed to have been hit on by Isabella Swan at one point or another. Of course, no one (except Newton) was stupid enough to openly claim they had participated in anything warranting a trip down to the Police station to leave a DNA sample for testing. However, there was a ridiculous amount of stories surfacing, all featuring semi-naughty encounters with the quiet, but obviously very slutty, Bella Swan. And all the girls agreed that yes, Bella Swan was indeed a complete hussy and they had ALL seen 'the getting knocked up part' coming from day one…

Then there were the 'truth seekers', those who were acting all friendly, pretending they had yet to make up their minds. But really, they were just digging for more dirt to bury Swan with. For some obscured reason, these vultures seemed to think Edward had some kind of inside scoop or something.

 _'Come on, you're the one that was with her when the ambulance arrived AND your dad is the chief of surgery, you've gotta have something to tell us!'_

However, it didn't stop there… One topic of conversation that seemed to take high priority above all others - the party on the night those babies were believed to have been born. Everyone wanted to know who, if anyone, Bella had been interacting with that night. The fact that said party had been held in Edward's home, was apparently all it took to make him the one to pester for juicy tidbits on Swan's love life – well, him and Alice, of course, seeing as she was one of teh few people that actually was on friendly terms with Bella. His twin, however, didn't seem nearly as bothered with this newfound and unwanted attention as Edward was. Then again, with Alice being the more socially skilled and outgoing twin, it made sense that she would be way better at dealing with this kind of fuckery.

"Just give them the usual middle finger response and keep ignoring anyone trying to get your attention," Alice had suggested with a shrug. "Isn't that how you normally go about your day at school anyway?"

"Yeah, but usually they don't try to hang onto my arm, or give me bro hugs or pat my back…. Why do they think touching me would make me want to be chummy chummy with them? After all these years, you'd think they would have learned to stay away… It's like they don't know the first thing about me."

"True, but this is Forks where nothing ever happens… And now that something has happened, you can't fault them for being excited to the point where they don't know what to do with themselves. Or for having IQ lower than room temperature. We've talked about this before; these people are under stimulated-…"

"We live here too and none of us have that problem."

"Just ignore them Edward… for Bella's sake. Honestly, with the amount of trash talking going on at the moment, there is nothing either one of us can say that will change anyone's mind. Come on, keep your cool. No need to get into any fights today. Give them nothing and they'll run out of steam real soon."

It didn't occur to Edward until later that Alice was, at this point, still holding out for the slim possibility that this was all one big misunderstanding. Maybe it was some sort of delayed shock reaction or something that had her believing the test results would come back negative and the police would release a statement, clearing her friend from all and any wrong doings. That never happened, of course, and Alice had been devastated upon learning later on that Bella Swan had in fact, hidden a pregnancy from her…

Throughout that first morning back at school, however, Alice had remained strong and unaffected. Whenever Edward had run into her in the hallways, she'd been reminding him to keep his cool. And she appeared to have instructed Jasper to keep an eye on him as well.

"Man, if you want out of here, just say the word. Because there are better ways to do it, than getting detention for smashing someone's head into a wall," Jasper had pointed out, after shutting down a heated discussion with one of James's minions.

"I just want people to stop TOUCHING me!" Edward had snapped in response.

"Alright buddy, save your energy for P.E. I've heard its dodgeball week. Wanna go out for a smoke?"

"Heck yeah, let's go!"

Smoking had helped calming his nerves, but unfortunately the effect wasn't very long lasting. He'd been up for chemistry class next and it had been a hoot. Someone's hand had been torched with a gas burner and it had not been an accident.

At that point it had really, truly felt like it would take a miracle to make it through the day without getting into a physical alteration of some sort.

The final nail in the coffin for Edward came when, not one, but several of their classmates started whining and complaining about having to purge their twitter and facebook accounts ASAP. What, why? - you might wonder. Well, Edward did too, until he heard the explanation. Some blockhead of a journalist had left a message on Lauren Mallory's facebook wall, asking her to get in touch with him because he had a question about one of her pictures... and whether or not it was a bong she was pictured with. She told the reporter the same thing she'd told her mother; "For the last time, it's not a bong, it's a fucking vuvuzela!"

Needless to say, Lauren took the photo down real fast, but not without word getting out and now people were panicking. If one of the 'old-fashioned' printed newspapers - one that all their parents read, like the the Forks Gazette or The Daily Olympian- were planning on publishing an expose on 'What your teens are really up to when you're not around' they would have no trouble finding photos to accompany such a piece – hence the sudden frenzy to remove anything that could be interpreted as a reference to drugs, sex, and wild partying.

Jasper was one of those people who should perhaps be a bit nervous about this, but he took it in stride. Instead, it was Edward that was hit with a suffocating, 'the walls are closing in on me' feeling. And he wasn't even big on using Facebook or Twitter to begin with. And neither was Bella, so Edward really, didn't have anything to worry about on this front. Yet, he still went a bit paranoid.

He couldn't help but remember that one time Leah Clearwater had snapped semi naked photos of him - pictures that had made rounds on the internet for months and were most likely still available to anyone with a little knowledge in how to pull up cached or archived content.

They weren't unflattering photos or anything. He wasn't buff like his brother, but he wasn't out of shape either. People probably thought he'd posed for them, when in actuality he hadn't even known they were being taken. He'd felt his heart rate kick up a bit at that thought, because that was the kicker; he hadn't even known about they existed.

At that point his breathing became quick and shallow, and he broke out in a thin film of sweat. Because, now he was freaking out thinking about what other 'things' that could be out there that he didn't know about… stuff that could potentially be linking him to Swan.

When he started seeing spots dancing in front of his eyes, he knew he HAD to get out of there. However, getting out of class had been easier said than done. Edward had pushed his chair back to get up, but that was about as far as he got on his own. He'd ending up having to put his head between his knees and pray for the ground to swallow him whole. Now that didn't happen of course, but Alice must have somehow sensed her brother's rising panic, for she was at his side in a matter of minutes -or perhaps that was all Jaspers doing? Anyway, Alice got their father on the phone and half an hour later Edward was in a car with both his parents, heading home.

"Oh, Edward, always so tough on the outside, yet sensitive on the inside," his mother had said as she fastened her seatbelt. "I hope someday you'll be ready to work on the real triggers for your panic attacks and your anxiety."

He responded by giving her the stink eye. It made him look like he was five, but that was all the offense they could muster at the time being.

As per usual, his father had been pressed for time and had only stayed for as long as it took to conclude that there wasn't anything physically wrong with Edward. Then it was back to the hospital for Dr. Cullen. Edward didn't mind though, having one parent fussing over him was more than enough.

Fortunately, the shakes and the panicky feeling didn't last very long this time and his breathing was more or less back to normal by the time his mother had lunch ready for him. All that was left was a slight headache and some tingling. That didn't stop him from trying to get out of school though.

"Maybe I should stay home for the rest of the week," Edward had suggested to his mother, picking at his food with his fork.

"You'd tell us if there was anything in particular that's bothering you, right?" his mother had asked, giving him a contemplative look.

"Nothing's bothering me. I just need to catch up on sleep." And restock his weed stash. He was seriously regretting flushing everything when he had. The timing of this all was bad news for his anxiety levels.

"You sure? I can't remember the last time you had panic attacks in school that you weren't able to handle yourself. Usually, we only hear about them from Alice a day or two afterwards, you know..."

"I'm as surprised as you. No idea where this is coming from," he'd shrugged. "Saw a lot of blood the other day. You know I don't deal well with the sight of blood… from when you lost the b-… or since forever really. "

That had perhaps been a low blow, bringing up his mothers miscarriage, but it worked like a charm.

"How about we take it one day at a time?" she had said, dropping the speech on emotional and mental health that she had no doubt been panning on giving him.

Edward hadn't gone back to school since that conversation took place. Now, it was Thursday afternoon and he had spent the last two days doing the only thing that seemed to soothe his nerves – practicing scales and arpeggios over and over again on the piano.

Speaking of practicing scales, he placed his fingers on the keys again and took a deep breath. However, before he could do anything else, the front door slammed open, or perhaps shut, and there were a couple of loud bangs, and then... and then there was silence... most likely only a temporary pause while clothes and bags were being discarded.

Alice was home from school.

The music room was reasonably sound-isolated, filtering out most sounds at a normal conversation level. However, it was hard to block out his sister's shrill voice.

"Eddie, you lazy bum! I know you're in there!" she hollered, making her way from the front to the back of the house. "Why didn't you tell me they'd found it?"

"Found what, Al? I can't hear you for all the shouting," Edward shouted back, getting up from the piano bench, stretching his stiff limbs.

"Her phone," Alice answered, pulling the door open and stepping over the threshold.

 _Shit._

"Whose phone? Swan's?"

"Yes, in a ditch down the road 250 something yards from here," she explained, frustration clear in her voice. "You had one job Edward, one. I told you to let me know when the police dogs got here. I'm dying to see them in action-…"

"Sorry, but I have other things to do with my time then to sit and look out the window," he interrupted her."Besides, forget about the dogs for a second, what are they going to do with Swan's phone? Surely, it can't still be in working order? I mean, it's been sitting out in the rain for three days straight."

"Well, the SIM card should be alright. They'll just place it in another phone or hook it up to a computer or whatever it is that they do…"

 _Double shit!_

Edward wasn't stupid –getting your hands on month's worth of data from someone's phone (gps, texts, call logs etc.) was like accessing a diary of someone's life - a very detailed diary. Should the police be able to open that diary they'd find out all sorts of things...

 _Were they even allowed to do that without permission?_

There was that lightheaded feeling again.

"Uh, Alice… do you have any weed by any chance?"

"Nope," she responded giving him a funny look.

"Nope?" he sighed, sighed rubbing his forehead.

"Sorry."

.

…

.


	48. Chapter 48

An: Sorry about the delay... It's a challenge getting anything done in this heat wave. I don't have ac in my apartment. I don't even own a fan. Can't buy one either as they are all out of stock. Anyway, I've been trying to write ahead a bit . I wanted to get at least three chapters prewritten before I go back to work again. This is my last week of freedom, then it's all work, work, work again…

 **.**

 **-=[ Isabella Swan, 17 y.o, - the past]=-**

 **.**

 **Chapter 48**

.

Edward's pov

.

...

.

Edward stayed in the music room long after his sister had darted off. Presumably Alice went to check out the four legged police officers working in the area slightly North West of their property. Though, Edward strongly suspected she was far more interested in their two legged handlers, some of which were rumored to be legit FBI agents (insert eye roll). DEA does not equal FBI; that was just dumb, high school gossip. Anyway, he supposed this was his sister way of trying to be smooth - by insisting it was the dogs that had her fascinated. She did have a boyfriend, after all.

Through the window, he could see that Alice had snuck out of the house (despite being grounded) and was walking hurriedly across lawn, heading towards the driveway with her iPhone pressed to her ear and a tube of lipstick and a compact mirror in her other hand. Edward couldn't tell who she was talking to, so he could only assume it was one of two people – either her boyfriend, or the boy friend's step sister. Actually, it was most likely the later, calling for her daily update. Even miles and miles away, Rosalie still managed to find ways to annoy him.

Crap! Edward closed his eyes, this reminded him of the many messages his older brother had left for him on his phone. All expressing variations of the same thing; 'what the fuck is going on?', 'why do I keep hearing shit went down at school?' and 'answer your phone, Eddie!'.

The more recent ones even mentioned Swan by name, so Edward assumed that Rosalie was generously sharing all and every piece of gossip Alice gave her.

 _'I just heard about little Swan! This shit is so surreal! Is she gonna be alright?'_

' _Knocked up, who would have guessed?… Oh, that's right, I did!'_

' _Can't believe I predicted baby Swan… even though I was only joking. Hope B's alright!'_

" _Wait, who's the daddy?'_

' _Seriously, who knocked her up? Not you, right?'_

And finally….

' _Are you in trouble Eddie? Call me?!"_

So far Edward had brushed the questions off with a simple text reply, stating that 'NO! Must be JB' and 'I'll get in touch with you later. Should know more by then'.

He was procrastinating. He knew he should call his brother sooner rather than later…to shut down all 'daddy' talk, if nothing else. However, he was still hoping it wouldn't be necessary and that the whole situation to magically resolve itself within the next 24 hours or so.

 _Seriously, how long did it take for them to track down Black and get his DNA tested?_

So yeah, he was waiting, alright… and it was getting more nerve-wracking by the hour. Of course, if anyone would ask, he would deny having anything to be nervous about. Not that anyone had any reason to ask him in the first place though.

This business with Bella's phone was concerning to say the least. It was a ticking bomb that could either fizzle to nothing, or blow up in his face.

.

…

.

Bella's pov

.

"Good afternoon, Isabella! Glad to see you awake," Dr Cullen greeted her as he entered the room with a spring in his step.

Startled, Bella's eyes flew to his face. The nurse that had just left the room had warned her that the doctor was on his way in to visit her; she just hadn't realized she was talking about Carlisle. Because while he was a doctor, he wasn't her doctor - the one assigned to her was female. Dr Renata O'Rio-… something…. This was Carlisle's workplace though, so it shouldn't surprise her all that much that he'd decided to pop in to see her.

"My shift ends in half an hour, but I thought I'd make time to see you before I head home," he added as if reading her thoughts. "I'm sure Dr O'Riordan is taking good care of you, but I like to keep tabs on all my post-op patient's in person. It makes me sleep better at night."

 _Right, so he'd been the one operating on her then…that thought was both comforting and awkward as hell._

He'd stopped talking and was looking directly at her, probably expecting some kind of response, so she offered him a respectful nod.

"Ah, still not talking I see?" he concluded, his voice gentle but also in a way, authoritative. "I suppose a nod is better than nothing. Just tell me, is it your throat? Is it still sore from the breathing tube?"

She raised a hand and shook it to indicate 'a little'.

"That's not uncommon. It will pass in a day or two," Dr Cullen said and then motioned to the jug of water on the bedside table. "I can fix you something to drink, if you'd like?"

Without really thinking, she signed the words 'no' and 'thank you'.

"Oh, you know sign language, Isabella? Alice been teaching you?"

 _Nope…_

Her thoughts went to grandma Marie for a brief second. Her only answer, however, was to give tiny shakes of her head.

"Speaking of my daughter… Would you allow me to be personal for a moment?" he asked, waiting for her to look up at him again, before he continued.

"I want you to know that we have all been worried about you; the whole family, but Alice in particular. She's been asking you'll be awake and when she can see you... Don't worry, I've told her she'll have to wait until you've been released from here. May I?" He gestured towards the end of her bed, before taking a seat. "If you like, I can pass along a message. I've got a notepad with me if you want to write something for her?"

Bella shook her head 'no'. It was better to just cut all ties straight away. Not like Alice would want anything to do with her once she realized what been going on behind her back. There were rules about such things; you don't mess with your friend's, brother!

"Alright, just let me know if you change your mind," Carlisle smiled at her. "I should warn you, I know my wife will want to make a visit sometime soon. She's waiting for your father and Dr. O'Riordan to give her the green light," he continued. "You'll get a say, too, of course," he hurried to add. "If you don't want her here, you can always tell her so. She'll understand. "

Bella frowned and picked at the blanket that covered her lap. Did she want visitors - NO. However, if she sent Esme away, they'd only stick her with another head shrink. She knew Dr. Cullen – Esme- was the 'lesser evil' option here.

Again, Carlisle seemed to read her thoughts easily, saying, "You never did find another psychiatrist while my wife went on sick leave, now did you? I know she referred you to someone in Port Angeles."

She rolled her eyes at him. Yeah right, like Charlie would have been interested in driving her to Port A twice a week… that would have never worked.

"I take that as a no."

She responded by keeping her eyes fixed on a spot on the ceiling above her.

He seemed to take the hint, because after that silence settled in the room. He rose from the bed and she got her hopes up that he might be done with her and was getting ready to leave. Unfortunately, that was not the case though. Instead, he grabbed the clipboard at the end of the bed, flipping it open. "You're still running a slight fever, but your BP is good," he commented, his voice taking on a more professional tone. "Your blood work from this morning is looking better as well. You're still a bit anemic though, so we'll have to keep track on that."

At this point Bella had tuned out a bit. She really didn't want to hear anymore talk about blood and blood work; didn't need that… no… Instead, she moved her eyes to study the stethoscope around Carlisle's neck. She could never get over how different he looked when he was in his work gear - white lab coat, combed back hair, glasses... It suited him, he looked every inch the highly-trained and well renowned surgeon he was.

"I know Dr. O'Riordan is planning to let you move on to solid foods real soon, so that's something to look forward too. The cannulas need to stay in place for a bit longer though, so we can keep up with the antibiotics until the infection goes away."

She already knew this...sort of. The nurse changing the IV bag earlier had explained what the needles in her arm were for.

"There is one more thing I'd like to address, Isabella," he continued and she knew just from his tone of voice that he was going to get personal again. "I heard you sent the police away this morning without giving them anything to work with. That's fine, if you're not ready, you're not ready. I know you've been through a lot and I get that you're still processing what's happened, but you are going to need to tell your side of the story at some point."

She answered by signing the word 'tired' without looking at him.

"Of course. That's to be expected, considering what you've been through," he said, placing the clipboard back in its assigned place. "It's doubtful that there's much I can say at this stage that will make you feel any better about your situation. I suppose the best advice I can give, is to try and get some rest. I'll be leaving now, but I'll be back again tomorrow, alright?"

At the door he turned around and said, "I'm sorry if I said, or did something, to make you feel you couldn't come to us for help sooner. You may have felt, and is still feeling, let down and alone. I'm sure the hormonal changes associated with childbirth isn't helping either… I just want you to know that we do care and we want to help if we can - both you and the b-…"

Not wanting to hear the rest, Bella squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears, trying to block out the memories that didn't make any sense.

They'd told her she was lucky to be alive. The blood loss alone could have killed her. She didn't feel lucky. She felt lost, defeated and, yes, alone…. Very alone.

…

.

Edward's pov

Eventually hunger drove Edward out of the music room. On his way to find food, he rounded the bottom of the staircase in the foyer and saw his father's laptop case on the landing strip table by the front door.

His father was home early. In fact, both his parents were home at the same time for once. That hadn't happened in a while. Where they planning a family dinner slash meeting... again? Was this good or bad news?

He could hear their voices floating out through the not quite closed sliding-door to the kitchen. He didn't mean to eavesdrop, but the subject they were discussing made him really uneasy. ..And yet he still couldn't bear to tear himself away.

"Surely it was a still birth, Carlisle," his mother was saying.

"That's for the autopsy to-…" his father started answering.

"Tell me it was a birth defect, some rare condition leading to fatal malnutrition, causing organ failure… That it wasn't breathing, that it wasn't alive…"

"I wish I could say that, but I can't. What do I know is that the fetus didn't look healthy."

Edward kept stock-still, barely breathing at this point.

"I just can't stand the thought of someone deliberately exposing a newborn baby to external violence," his mother responded, her voice anything but stable. "Even if it was a very sick baby, it deserved to be held and loved. I deserved facing death in a dignified way."

Edward heard his father sigh. "Esme, we can only help the living. Please, don't let this pull you under. Our children may be young adults soon, but they still need our guidance and protection. That goes for Isabella too. She's going to need a lot of help and support to get through this."

At the mention of her Bella's name, Edward leaned in closer to hear better.

"I know," his mother paused when her voice cracked, clearing to throat, "Is she talking yet? Has she said anything at all about what happened to her?"

"No, not a word. She barely speaks at all. In fact when I tried to talk to her, she clammed up completely."

"What about the police? Have they been allowed to see her?"

"There were two officers there this morning, but from what I've heard, she didn't have much to say to them either. They'll keep trying, I'm sure."

"They have to. This isn't going to go away."

"No, it isn't. I can see this going to trial."

"Neglect charges?"

"Depending on how the autopsy goes, she may even be facing more serious charges than that, I'm afraid. I almost wish…"

"What? You almost wish what, Carlisle?"

"It's just… It's been a couple of days and I had hoped the father would have stepped forward by now. When that Jacob kid - William Black's son – agreed on getting tested for paternity, I thought-… I mean, had he been the one, it would have taken some of the pressure of Isabella. He's young, VERY young and the system tends to go easier on minors."

"Are you saying he's NOT the one? Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Jacob Black in not the father."

 _The babies weren't Jake's?!_

Edward noticed that his breaths were coming out loud and ragged. He quickly put his hand over his mouth. It wasn't really the time to get caught eavesdropping. He could hear the thudding of his heart in his ears.

 _So if it wasn't Jake that got Swan pregnant, then what did that mean…? And what was all this talk about criminal charges? Surely it would never come to that?! Surely-…_

Just then, a shrill beeping fills the air and Edward nearly jumps out of his skin, before realizing it's just the timer on the stove.

Edward heard his mother mumble something about getting the casserole out of the oven, at the same time as he heard heavy footsteps coming towards the door.

He had to get out of there! He didn't want to face… anyone… right that very moment. Turning around, he prepared to retreat quickly. He didn't get very far though, as he stumbled and hit his knee on a table or shelf or something.

"Edward, is that you?" his father asked, sliding the door fully open.

"Ah..." Edward stammered, knowing it was too late to run and hide now. "Sorry. I came for food. I mean, it's getting late and I realized I was hungry, so I came to check if mom had started on dinner -…"

"How much did you hear?"

"Uhm-… not much. I heard talking, but I didn't want to interrupt, so…"

"Uh huh, somehow I don't quite believe that," his mother replied from the depths of the kitchen. "But we can discuss this later. Dinner is almost ready. Perhaps you two can make yourselves useful and set the table for me?" she suggested. "The plates are on the counter."

"Sure… mom," Edward agreed, hugely relieved to be off the hook for now, without having made a complete prat of himself.

.

…..

.

As Carlisle worked his way around the dining room, putting down plates and utensils for four people on the table, Edward trailed after him adjusting each piece of silverware into a perfect 90-degree angle from the edge of the table.

"You look like you got something on your mind, son? Wanna talk about it? "

Edward shook his head.

"Are you sure?"

"Disappointing as it may be to you, dad, I can actually cope on my own without your guidance and protection ..."

"So you heard that much, huh?"

"Did you know they have found her phone?" Edward changed the subject without giving Carlisle a direct answer.

"Isabella's phone? No, I did not know that."

"Well, they did – not too far from here actually. So if she contacted anyone that night - for help or whatever - I'm sure it's in the call log of her phone. I've heard it's illegal to search or seize the contents of a mobile phone without a warrant though. Do you know if that's true?"

"I don't know for sure, but I would imagine that they'd need permission to do something like that. Charlie will grant them that though, no doubt." his father nodded. "Edward, please..."

"Please what?"

"Please talk to me! Son, you've rearranged the same fork and knife three times now," Carlisle pointed out, his voice slow and thoughtful.

Edward frowned and looked at the silverware on the table yet to be organized and his arms twitched at his side. "So? You know I do stuff like that sometimes."

"I'm aware of that, yes. Are you sure there isn't something you'd like to get off your chest? You know I'm a good listener."

"I thought we already were talking? Or what do you call this? Bullshitting?"

"Have you been getting any sleep lately?" his father asked, changing the subject, leaving Edward a bit perplexed.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You're even paler than normal, your eyes are red rimmed, and you have dark bags under your eyes."

"So, maybe I'm turning into a vampire…"

"Son," his father was shaking his head at him. "I can see something is eating on you. I can almost guarantee that just opening up and talking about it will help."

Ah, no. I can guarantee it won't, Edward thought, but didn't say it.

"Whatever's wrong, just tell me and we'll deal with it together," Carlisle pressed, when he got no verbal reply.

Edward hesitated and looked out over the dinner table in front of him again. That itch to fix and organize was almost unbearable, but his father was still looking at him with a serious expression.

"Fine, I'll tell you…" He took a couple deep breaths and nodded. "Remember how you predicted the police will be showing up here soon with a search warrant and sniffer dogs, because we threw that party and because Bella was here all night before she wandered off into the woods?"

"Yeah, I remember. Is this about the weed I asked you to flush? Did you not do what I told-…"

"No, I did flush it and I have regretted it every since," Edward said with shake of his head. "It's not about that though. It's just that… uhm, I've got a prediction of my own. When the cops DO get here, I predict they'll take me to the station for formal questioning. Not because of anything they'll find here, but because they'll discover multiple instances of my number in Swan's phone log - mostly text messages, both incoming and outgoing, but a few phone calls as well." He exhaled, waiting for the reaction he knew would come.

His father blinked, but didn't say anything for a moment. Then, slowly, he looked Edward in the eye and asked, "Am I correct assuming the contents of these messages have nothing to do with school assignments, homework or anything school-related really?"

"I-… Yes, that would be correct. But-.."

"Before you say anything else. I want to ask you one question. Only one." Carlisle interrupted. "Will you answer it truthfully?"

"I'll answer it, if I can," he replied guardedly, fully expecting his father to ask if Bella had been the girl he'd been sneaking into his bedroom all those months. He didn't ask that though.

No, what he asked was, "Son, did Isabella phone you that night? Were you there, in the woods, helping her deliver those babies?"

"What the F! NO," Edward replied, appalled at the suggestion. " I swear I didn't even know she was pregnant."

"Okay… I'm going to call my lawyer after dinner for advice. For the record, even if your answer had been yes, I'd still do everything in my power to help you, alright."

Edward was shaking his head. "You always assume the worst-…"

Of course, Esme chose that precise moment to enter the dining room.

"Edward, have you seen Alice?" she asked placing a bowl of salad in the center of the table. She must have sensed the tension, because she stopped in her tracks."Sorry, did I interrupt something?"

"You did, but it's good you're here," her husband responded, in a gravely serious tone of voice. "I think you need to hear this."

"Hear what?"

"Edward and I will be going into the police station first thing tomorrow morning."

"Oh, why?" She frowned, still not clearly understanding where all this was heading. "What's wrong?"

"Edward is going to voluntarily hand in his phone and submit DNA for testing."

"No…" Esme gasped. Her hand flew to her mouth and tears sprang to her eyes. "Edward Anthony Cullen, what have you gone and done now? And why didn't you say anything sooner?"

.

….

.


	49. Chapter 49

**AN:/** /*Beware of the time jump! We're once more in the present-day with Bella making hospital visits with both Charlie and Bree */

 **-=[Isabelle Higginbotham, the present ]=-**

 **.**

 **Chapter 49**

.

Bella's pov

Another day… another hospital visit.

As soon as Bella entered her father's hospital room, she was met with an orchestra of monotonic, artificial sounds – loudest were the steady beeping from the heart monitor that was that was attached to his chest and the windy whooshing sound from the ventilator. But those two were only a small part of the many machines keeping him alive.

As per usual, Bella grabbed the empty chair and dragged it closer to the bed. Touching her father's hand, she reflected on just how many of these hospital visits she'd actually made these past few days– way too many she concluded… In fact, she was off to see Bree Tanner next, so she had maybe another hour, or so, in this depressing, sterile environment to look forward to…Yay!

 _Why did hospital rooms have to be so depressing?_

Despite the early morning sun that had followed her inside, her father's room had a cold feel to it. Not just temperature wise. With no plants and no color or artwork on the walls, there was not nearly enough natural warmth in there…She had a feeling that even on the brightest of days, this room would still remain depressingly sterile and cold.

She squeezed Charlie's hand, mindful of the I.V. "I bet the food is pretty bland too, at least if the coffee in the cafeteria is anything to go by. Nothing for a steak lover like yourself..."

She remembered how boring the food would get after a few days. In fact, in quiet moments like this, it was hard not to get flashbacks to another time and another hospital room…

At least she wasn't Forks General now, she reminded herself, shaking off a sudden chill. Thank goodness, they'd been so quick to move Charlie to Port A and the cardiac care unit there – not only because they were the specialists in the area, but also, because… well, it saved her from having to revisit THAT place. She was pretty sure that wouldn't have been good for her sanity.

The eye of the storm - looking back, that's how Bella would describe those first three weeks following her chocking collapse and hospitalization all those years ago. She'd been told afterwards, that not only had she'd come dangerously close to bleeding out, but that the bacterial infection alone could have killed her, if it had gone untreated one more day. She'd been lucky, but Christ, she hadn't felt lucky at the time - especially considering that the time after being released from the hospital had been an even bigger challenge for her body, mind and spirit.

That's why she in hindsight she had come to think of her hospital bed as a place of calm – the eye around which a storm of destruction and chaos had spun.

They'd done a reasonably good job protecting her from all the ongoing madness and media frenzy. Strings had been pulled for sure. She had woken up from surgery and found herself isolated in her own private room with no unauthorized visitors, no outside contact and no phone calls. The whole floor had been on lockdown with maximum security. Safe to say, that wasn't the norm.

Sure it had been a depressingly boring place to be holed up in for three weeks, but it had still been a lot better than what was waiting for her on the outside.

Bella sighed as memories washed over her, or rather fragments of memories of coming to after surgery. She'd been restrained, arms strapped down to her hospital bed. She'd learned later that it was to stop her from ripping out her IV.

She hadn't known that at the time though and had been scared and confused beyond measure (the later mainly due to the drugs they had her hooked up to). It hadn't helped that she'd been looking the part of a grim Frankenstein-like experiment with wires coming out of her everywhere and a breathing tube pumping air into her lungs. Yeah, that had been a rather terrifying moment to say the least…

She shook her head, as if to rid herself of the frustration that always came with allowing herself to remember that particular time in her life.

Better thinking about the future than looking back too much. She allowed herself a moment to pat herself on the back. She'd been doing quite well these past few days, even her nightmares had been somewhat manageable.

 _Come on, you can do this, Swan! You ARE already doing this…_

The steps she'd taken towards healing and moving on were huge. She was facing her demons, if not head-on, then at least with a sidelong glance and it was… liberating.

A few years back, just the thought of going back to the outskirts of Forks would have caused her to have a complete meltdown. And look at her now – being out and about, running into old classmates and acquaintances, right, left and center AND handling those confrontations with minimum panic and maximum maturity (bonus grown up points for resisting the temptation to run Newton over with her rental car).

Sure, she'd heard comments here and there that had stung, but she was going to survive this and come out, if not a stronger person, then at least a wiser one.

Heck, she was even considering actually venturing into the hornet's nest in a few hours- or well, stepping into her old workplace over at Newton's Outfitters to be precise. It was quite centrally located, but she knew that if she timed it right, the streets of Forks would be more or less deserted. By mid-morning most townies would be at work, and their kids would be in school or at daycare. That left only the seniors to worry about and she knew quite a few of them would be home dressing up to attend the Garden Club's annual fall luncheon. She'd seen posters announcing the event and knew from experience it was always well attended by the older demographic. Hopefully, if her calculations were right, it would be a calm morning, with very few people out roaming the streets.

The plan was to visit Bree first and then head on over to Forks, to stop by the Newton's briefly and exchange a few words with Mike's wife. She figured she'd be in and out in ten minutes, tops.

If she wanted to get anywhere with Bree, she was going to have to work for it. The girl wasn't going to be volunteering information, that much was clear. Bella was going to have to turn every stone and pebble in search for the truth. And she was going to start with Mrs. Newton, then Jane and Riley. Not all in one day perhaps, as she still wanted to squeeze in a visit 'Bree's cliff' too, as soon as the weather allowed for it.

Satisfied with her plan, she reached out and squeezed her father's hand one final time.

"Remember that time you told me life's like one giant connect-the-dots puzzle? You said 'there are no coincidences only dots we have failed to connect, opportunities we have missed'…"

Charlie didn't respond, of course. But she held on to his hand, waiting a few seconds before she continued. "I think I'm gonna be sticking around for a bit. I think I'm not meant to leave until I have connected all the dots this time."

.

…

.

"So… are you not talking at all today? Or is it me you don't want anything to do with?" Bella asked the girl in the hospital bed before her.

Bree didn't answer her. She hadn't said, or signed, anything the whole time Bella had been there. Initially, Bella had thought it was because there had been a nurse present in the room. However, that nurse was long since gone and Bree still wasn't talking…

Time to bring out the secret weapon.

"I've got something for you," Bella said, bringing out her phone. "I went to your place yesterday. I spoke with your father and… he let me see your dog."

She brought the short clip up and pressed play. "Whippy is doing okay. Here, see for yourself.

While the young girl sitting in the hospital bed didn't make a move to take the outstretched phone, she certainly did look at it… hesitantly at first, then with increasing interest.

"I've got a surprise for you, Bree. I've arranged for Whippy to get a day at the local Dog Spa. Just so that she can be pampered and get at least a little bit of that love and attention I'm sure she's missing right now. There will be food and treats for her as well. I've instructed them to look her over and report back to me if they see any signs of her having been mistreated in the last few days. If they find anything I'll report it to-.."

Suddenly the girl's hands were moving. "How?" she signed and tugged at Bella's arm.

"'How' what?" Bella signed back.

"How did you manage to convince dad?"

"I've got my ways. Basically, I expressed your concerns that your dog would not be loved, fed and exercised properly with you being away from home. I did it in the presence of a police officer and I made sure to point out that you're not supposed to leave your pets without supervision for days at the time, just like you're not supposed to leave your children unsupervised. So anyway, I suggested a Spa day and -… "

"No way my dad said yes to that!" Bree interrupted impatiently.

"You're right, he thought the whole idea was dumb," Bella admitted. "I even offered to pay for it out of my own pocket. He still wasn't convinced. What changed his mind was when officer Newton kindly volunteered to chauffeur me and Whippy to and from the Dog Spa place. This had your father laughing big time. 'Hilarious use of police resources,' I think his precise words were. Anyway, that was all it took."

"Really?" the girl signed, still looking skeptic.

"Yes, really. He gave his approval and I've got an appointment booked and everything."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Bella answered with a smile. "So… Bree, I want you to know I stopped by your school yesterday and met up with Ms Young. "

"Why?" The girl looked awfully alarmed all of a sudden.

"Don't worry. She had nothing but nice things to say about you. How bright you are, how fast of a learner you are and so on. I don't want you to think I'm snooping around. Well, I suppose in a way, I am snooping around, but basically I'm just trying to get a sense of what kind of person you are."

"Why do you need to know that for?"

"So I can advice the police on what to do next. Remember how I told you yesterday that someone needs to decide whether or not you should be sent home, or if some kind of alternative living arrangement is needed?"

"Yeah, and I've already said I want to go home. Nothing you say will change my mind."

"That's correct. I can only advice you and hope you'll listen. The one with the real power here is you, Bree."

"HA!" she said, using her voice. Then she followed up by signing. "If I had any power, I'd already be home by now."

"Not while you're still receiving medicine and nourishment through I.V. We've been over this already." That response had Bree rolling her eyes.

"So anyway, after I'm done here I'll be heading into Forks to have a chat with Mrs. Newton and your coworker – I believe her name is Jane?" Bella continued. "And… I was thinking I should try and get in touch with Riley Biers next, if that's okay with you? He's your boyfriend, isn't he?"

"NO," Bree objected, again using her voice rather than her hands. The girls alarmed expression seemed to be turning into one of actual fear.

"He's not your boyfriend? Everyone seems to think so." Bella said keeping her own expression calm and attentive. "Did you two get into a fight?"

Bree made an impatient sound, shaking her head from side to side. "You can't tell him!"

"Tell him what?"

No answer. For a few seconds, the young girl looked conflicted.

"You don't want me to tell him why you're in hospital?" Bella guessed, trying to tread carefully around the subject. She was suddenly glad she'd convinced Mike to wait outside the room today. She had a feeling this whole conversation would have gone down differently with him, or anyone else for that matter, present in the room.

This time she got a tiny, hesitant nod in response.

"That you were pregnant, but suffered a miscarriage?" Bella pressed.

The girl squeezed her eyes shut tight, but gave a second nod.

"Alright. I promise you Bree, I'd never share something personal like that with anyone without your approval. That being said though - it is entirely possible that this boy already knows, or that he will find out from someone else at one point or another... it's one of the downsides of going to a small, small school in a small, small town."

The girl gave no visible response to that.

"I'm not saying this to upset you. I'm just saying that in my experience this is the kind of thing that stays with you, no matter how much you want to forget it.

Again, no response.

"Personally, I wouldn't be here today, if I hadn't gotten help. The two things that helped me the most were having a good therapist to speak to and getting a fresh start in a new town. Now, I'm not saying that is the only way to go. I'm just saying it's one way of doing it and that you can have that sort of help too, if you want it. All you have to do is speak up about what really happened to you and be truthful about your home situation. "

This time was met with a bored 'are-you-done-yet' facial expression.

"Okay, I believe that's enough preaching from me for today." Bella said with a patient nod.

She waited until she was by the door ready to leave the room until she asked her last question. "Bree, remember how you said last time that someone is lying? I just wanted to ask, is it Riley? Is he the one that is lying?"

It wasn't the question she had planned to ask. She had meant to ask about her brothers, but seeing the girl's reaction at the mention of her boyfriend's name, she had done some on the spot thinking.

She waited, not sure she would get any response at all, but then Bree surprised her by signing, "No. Riley never lies. Ever."

And then, the girl added one more word, one more clue, spelling out the word 'Older.'

"Someone older?" Bella asked for clarification.

Bree shrugged and made the classic 'my lips are sealed' gesture.

.

…

.


	50. Chapter 50

**-=[ Isabella Swan, 17 y.o, - the past]=-**

 **.**

 **Chapter 50**

.

Edward's pov

Needless to say, Edward had absolutely no appetite left after being lectured by his parents for twenty something minutes straight. Every time he tried to explain himself, they clapped back with how shocked and astounded they were by his poor judgment and flippant behavior…. not to mention disappointed… Yep, disappointment was the word of the hour, it seemed, and he got to hear it a lot.

Funny, how this was coming from the same two people that where always preaching about the importance of listening before speaking and judging…

Obviously, his parents didn't know what they were talking about. Oh, he was sure they thought they were in the right, but in actuality, they were just scratching on the surface of something much more complex. They didn't have the whole picture. Neither did Edward, for that matter. He was still couldn't figure everything out.

Carlisle could have easily kept on rebuking Edward for another twenty minutes. However, he was forced to rein it in when Alice came barging into the room, apologizing profoundly for being late for dinner.

Alice launched into an elaborate excuse, something about how she'd been helping someone looking for a key that had gone missing after the party the other night. It was all bogus of course, but Edward was certainly appreciating the breather this gave him.

It must have confused the hell out of Alice when no one seemed to care where she'd been or what she'd been up to. Usually, the whole 'you're grounded' thing was non-negotiable, with no exceptions whatsoever. This time, however, she didn't even have time to finish her explanation, before she was interrupted and ushered towards the table.

"I'm not surprise you didn't find it, dear. Sounds like a lost cause," her mother said and pointedly pulled out a chair for her. "Now, sit down!, We're having Grandma's Hot Tuna Casserole."

Not too surprisingly, the general mood in the room throughout the dinner was not an overly upbeat one. And it didn't improve after Esme excused herself and left to fetch a salt shaker from the kitchen, only to return five minutes later with suspicious red-rimmed eyes.

Alice tried to fill the silence by prattling on about one stupid thing after another. She didn't seem to care that she was only getting short, non-engaging responses in return or that her father only spoke with that detached and distant tone of voice that he usually reserved for when he was extremely unpleased with something. Or maybe she did notice, but just didn't follow it up for some reason.

Edward made no pretense of actually following the conversation (or eating anything for that matter). Instead, he merely pushed his food around his plate with his fork, waiting for an opportunity to slip away from the table unnoticed.

The whole ordeal certainly felt never ending.

Alice was in mid-description of some leather jacket she was redesigning (by taking it apart and putting it together again, or something pointless like that), when the shrill ringing of Carlisle's cell phone startled them all.

"Sorry, important call. I've got to take this," their father said, getting to his feet.

"Mr. Whitlock, thank you for returning my call at such short notice," they heard him greet the caller, before walking out of the room, phone to ear.

"Mr. Whitlock? Why is dad-…" Alice began, but cut herself short when she heard her boyfriend's name mentioned in the next sentence.

"Jasper? No, he's been no trouble. I'm afraid this isn't a social call at all."

The thing was apart from being Jasper's father, Mr. Whitlock was also Carlisle's lawyer, since about two years back. Alice knew this too, of course and Edward could practically see the cogs turning in his sister's head.

Carlisle's voice was getting fainter as he sprinted up the stairs. The last thing they heard before he closed the door to his office behind him was something about needing professional advice.

"What does he need legal advice for?" Alice asked, turning to their mother. "Is the hospital at risk of being sued again? Is it a malpractice thing?"

"No, darling. Your father is just being precautious. It's nothing you need to worry about at this point. Eat your casserole, dear. That goes for you too, Edward. We can't let all this food go to waste. "

"No heavens forbid…" Edward let out a frustrated sigh, which, of course, earned him a disapproving look from his mother.

"Speaking of food… Alice, will you tell me again what Rosalie said about her and Emmett's plans for Thanksgiving? Something about them having classes Monday and Tuesday….? "

Not the smoothest change of subject… and one that didn't work at that.

"Thanksgiving? You want to talk about Thanksgiving?! That's like months away," Alice pointed out, brows furrowed. "Mom, what the heck is going on here? Why are you acting so strange?"

"And don't tell me nothing," she added when her mother opened her mouth, ready to make some nonsense excuse.

"No, you're right. It's certainly not 'nothing'," Esme said after a moment of hesitation. "But please, let's wait for your father to return, before we discuss this. More casserole, anyone?"

"Gee, I'm stuffed. I think I'll have to pass on that," Edward pushed his chair back and stood up. "I'm outta here."

"Wait! Where do you think you're going?" Esme called out after him. "We're not done with you yet. I know your father will want to speak with you when he gets off the phone."

"Of course he does….Sounds fun. Looking forward to that." Edward called back over his shoulder, dismissing his mother's words.

"This is no joke!"

"Oh, believe me. I know that. Have you seen me laughing lately?" he responded, turning so that he was nearly walking backwards. "I'm only going outside for a smoke. He knows where to fin-..."

Of course, that's when he walked smack into his father, who had chosen that precise moment to reenter the room.

"Oomph!"

"Change of plan, son. Go and change into something respectable. We're heading into town to report this tonight."

"Report? Report what, exactly?" Alice asked at the same time as Esme commented, "Tonight? But we haven't had time to talk this through."

"Questions later. I still got Peter on the line." Carlisle gestured to his phone.

Actually, Carlisle had one phone in each hand. The second one, Edward recognized as his own, which his father had confiscated from him earlier, when they'd been arguing in the kitchen.

"Listen, son. Peter is advising us to be proactive with this. It's important that the information we sit on, comes out voluntarily and it might be too late for that if we wait until morning. The investigation is high priority; they could have someone working on that phone log over night, for all we know…"

"Do I get any say in this at all? Because, I sure as fuck don't want to do this NOW."

"Language, Edward! Honestly, at this late hour the most likely outcome is that we'll be sent home again and asked to return in the morning. It will look good though, the fact that we did it straight away, with no delay-…"

"They'll send us home? Then what's the point?" Edward grumbled.

"I was getting to that. The point is, we'll have it on record that you took all the necessary steps to sort this out, the minute you realized the other candidate - the one you thought for sure would be the match – actually wasn't a match at all…." his father trailed off.

"Oh my Gawd! What are you talking about? A match for what?" Alice pulled on her father's arm, demanding answers. "Is this about Bella?"

Now the cogs were dangerously close to falling into place. Any minute now Alice would piece it all together... and flip out royally…

Esme sensed it too, it seemed, as she put an arm around Alice's shoulder, presumably to calm her down a bit… or put a hand over her mouth to muffle her, if needed… Edward could practically hear the shrieks and yells that were sure to come from his sister in a minute or two.

"It is about Bella, isn't it?!" Alice repeated again.

"Alice, you know I can't -…" Carlisle started saying, then he indicated with a finger that he needed a second. "Sorry, can you repeat that Peter?" he said, turning his attention back to his phone.

"Alright, yeah. That makes sense. He's right here. Do you want to speak with him directly?" Carlisle asked and then listened to whatever answer he was receiving. It seemed to be a 'negative' as he continued with, "Right, okay. I'll pass it on to him, right away. Hang on a moment."

In the meanwhile, Esme more or less dragged a very uncooperative Alice with her towards the kitchen. And yep, there were all sorts of loud noises coming from her.

"Son, Peter says that it's not in our best interest to hand in your phone just yet. In fact, he even advice you to keep using it as you normally would, but with a bit of caution, of course," Carlisle said, surprising Edward by holding out the iPhone in question for him to take.

"If the police ask you to unlock it, you have every right to refuse."

"Not sure it changes anything though. I mean, they'll still be looking through Bella's phone, won't they?!"

"Most likely, yes. No warrant is needed if they suspect a person is in imminent harm, or if they think there is some imminent threat of evidence destruction. Also, she's not eighteen yet, so Charlie could be granting them permission on her behalf, as we speak. We'll have to wait and see how they decide to proceed…."

"Oh, and there is no point in erasing things in blind panic," Carlisle continued. Deleted messages will be one of the first things they look for, if they do decide to get a warrant to lawfully search it."

"Oookay… How about my car keys? Do I get them back too?" Edward asked, just for the heck of it.

"That would be a big, fat NO. Honestly, can't believe you would even ask that. Your car is so low on the list of priorities it could not move any lower... Now hurry up and get changed! We leave in 15 minutes."

.

…

.

As he crossed the lawn, on his way to his room, Edward couldn't resist checking his phone for new messages.

There were a handful of them. A few obnoxious one's from James - which he read and deleted straight away.

There were also three messages from Emmett. He decided to leave them untouched for the time being. His brother had been lighting up his phone it seemed, apart from the messages there was also several missed calls. Edward chalked that up to having had the phone in silent mode for the entire afternoon. It wasn't unusual for him to turn the sound off when he went into the music room to practice. Usually he turned it back on again afterwards though. Only this afternoon he'd never gotten around to do it… and perhaps he should leave it off, considering where he was heading next.

Just as Edward was about to put his phone away again, it vibrated with a new incoming call.

Emmett again.

His thumb moved to reject the call, but then he changed his mind last minute. If there was someone that wouldn't judge him too harshly, it was Emmett. Sure, his brother would no doubt mock and ridicule him about this situation to no end, but Edward knew when it really counted, his brother's support would be unwavering and unconditional.

With that in mind, he pressed the green button, and started up the conversation with a friendly, affectionate grunt that sounded suspiciously similar to "What do you want?"

"Is that any way to answer your phone?" his brother responded, not missing a beat.

"Fuck off Em, and stop texting me. I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now."

"Well, that sucks, because I think we need to talk."

"We probably do, but now is not the time… The found Swan's phone in a ditch and now things are about to go to shit."

"No listen, it's important-…"

"No you listen! I really don't have time to talk to you right now. The police have Swan's phone. I had to tell dad, who told mom... and now they are dragging me down to the police station."

"Eh… come again?" his brother sounded confused.

"They want me to step forward and ask to be tested," Edward clarified, patting his pocket for his key tag. Damn it, he'd forgotten to grab his jacket and now he didn't have a key.

"Step forward about what?"

"About having slept with Bella Swan. Try and keep up here!" he snapped, turning around to go get for his jacket.

"WOW. You told dad you've been having sex with little Swan?"

"Technically, I only told him that the police will find multiple instances of my number in the log for incoming and outgoing messages on her phone. He pretty much guessed the rest."

"Okay, but I thought you said JB is the fa-…"

"Err… Yeah, about that, Jacob Black is out of the running. His test result came back negative."

"That's a negative for you maybe, but I'm sure he thought it was positive news." Emmett's voice zoned in and out of focus slightly as it sounded like he was moving around.

"Joke about my life falling to pieces, why don't you," Edward groaned. "This is kind of serious... Chief Swan will kill me for sure this time. I don't even think he's going to wait for the test results to come back."

"Yeah and not just Chief Swan, by the sounds of things… Listen, someone Rosie knows has a sister with a boyfriend who works for The Daily Olympian…."

"Yeah and…?"

"They are running a story tomorrow about how the police suspect our little Swan had a male accomplice and that this accomplice was the one that went ahead and disposed Baby X in the dumpster. Now, the one thing that will set off a lynch mob for sure, is that article will include a section about how the baby was found in a plastic bag that had been partially sealed off with duct tape."

"Wha-..?! Fuck!"

A sealed of plastic bag? What kind of sick shit had he gotten himself messed up in?!

Edward cursed again, before pulling himself together enough to remember he still had his brother on the line. "You know I was nowhere near that pond, right? I didn't even know she was pregnant."

"Yeah, I know, I know… I'm just saying this could get ugly real fast. Actually, I called to ask you something rather important. Well, it was Rosie that thought of it first, but she wasn't sure you'd up the phone if she -… ."

"She's right. I wouldn't," Edward interrupted him. "Just get to the point already! What's this about?"

"It's about your clothes… Do you know what happened to your clothes?"

"My clothes…? Oh… you mean the ones Bella was wearing?"

"Yeah, exactly. Do you know where they are? Did you get them back? Are they washed? Or are they laying unwashed in a hamper somewhere over at Swans place?"

"I-…. haven't got a clue. She hasn't returned them to me. Maybe Al knows, or mom…?"

"Well, maybe you should check with mom and if you still can't find them after that, then maybe you should send Alice over to Swan's place to have a look around, or do it yourself..."

"Nah, can't do that. It would look really bad if I got caught…"

"Yeah well, I'll tell you what else will look bad… Imagine, if the police were to find your clothes with Bella's blood on them - assuming she was bleeding…. which Rosalie says she most definitely was given she'd just squeezed out not one but two babies-... "

"Riiight, I hear you," Edward interrupted his brother again. "Unfortunately, I don't think I can send Alice over there either. I doubt she'd be willing to do me any favors anytime soon," he added, having just spotted someone coming towards him with quick determined steps.

"Eh, why is that?"

"Because she's coming at me with a golf club. I don't think she's handling the news about me and Swan very well…."

"She's armed?! You better run, man!"

"No shit! I gotta go," Edward ended the call without waiting for a response.

"I don't have a golf club, you moron," Alice greeted him, anger plain in her voice. "Here, mom sent me out here to give you this!" she added, throwing Edward his jacket.

"I know, sorry. I was just looking for a way to get off the phone with Em," Edward responded, reaching out to grab the jacket from where it had landed on the ground. "I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to hit me over the head with something heavy though. Clearly I've messed up here."

"You think!" she snorted. "You're lucky I'm not the violent type. Out of curiosity though, when you say you've messed up, what part exactly are you referring to?"

 _Eh? This had to be a trick question, right? She KNEW, knew, right?_

"Uhm… the part where I've been having sex with one of your friends behind your back…" he said with a wince as if he fully expected this to get painful.

"Okay, yeah, I'm not happy about that part, but it's not me you should worry about. I'm not the one that nearly died. I'm not the one you let down. I'm not the one you abandoned. I'm not-…"

"I didn't abandon ANYONE!" Edward objected.

"Well, you weren't there when she needed you, where you?"

"I didn't know…." He threw his hands up. "I swear, I had no idea something like this would happen! I know I can be a jerk and it's no secret I've been known to treat girls like crap from time to time. But I didn't know. She didn't tell me she was pregnant – she didn't even hint at it."

Alice stared at her brother with such intensity he had to look away.

"She didn't tell me either," she finally admitted quietly.

Just then, a sudden noise had them momentarily startled. It turned out to be the remote-controlled garage doors that unlocked with a beep.

"Crap, is that dad?" Edward asked, looking back towards the house. "I still need to get changed. I'm running out of time here. Can I ask you something real quick, Al? It's kind of important."

"As you've already guessed, I'm not all that interested in doing you any favors at the moment," she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"It's important. I'm not kidding around here. Remember how we found Bella dressed from top to toe in my clothes the morning after the party? The grey hoodie I usually wear when I go jogging and the sweatpants with white stripes down the side? Have you seen them since then? Do you know if she returned them?" Alice was shaking her head, so he took that to mean 'no'. "Can you please check with mom if she's seen them? Maybe, Bella left them with her. Or perhaps she left them in the quest room where she slept…. Actually, can you check around the house a bit and see if you can find them anywhere. Please?!"

"Uhm… sure, but why?"

"Because MY clothes with HER blood on them… It wouldn't look good if the police were to find them…."

"EDWARD!" She was shaking her head at him as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"What?"

"There is a person in hospital, because of you. Or, I guess two-..."

"Two? Oh, you mean…. That's not even proven-…."

"Let me speak. You're worried about getting blood on your hands… Well, too late. Your hands have already been tainted. Not by something you did, but because of something you didn't do. You obviously weren't careful enough. And you obviously didn't pay her enough attention, or you'd know something was wrong….yes, I missed it too. I'm no better than you in that regard."

"Alright, point taken, point fucking taken. But just so you know, I still don't think I'm the one that got her pregnant."

"Then who did? Because Mom says it wasn't Jake. Please, don't tell me you're buying into all that crap they say at school. She's not like that. You know she is not a promiscuous kind of a girl."

"Honestly, it feels like I don't know her at all. I'm sure she has had her reasons for acting and feeling the way she has, but I don't know what they are. I don't know what's been going through her head… I just don't know…"

"Edward, you can't say-…"

"Not now! I've got to go."

.

...

.


	51. Chapter 51

_*-=[The Past - Isabella Swan, 17 y.o]=-*_

 _*51*_

 _._

 _*Edward's POV *_

.

Carlisle parked his vehicle neatly in the lot outside the police station.

"Son, I think it's best if you stay in the car… for now. I'm gonna go in first and have a talk with them," he suggested, unbuckling his seatbelt

Edward rolled his eyes at his father. "Come on, you can say it… You want me to hide out here, while you ask around about Chief Swan's whereabouts."

"Well, I can tell you this much, no matter how we break this to Charlie, it's not going to be pretty. He's not going to be happy with us. And honestly, as a father, I understand where it's coming from. It's one thing to know there are plenty of sexual active teenagers out there having sex every single day. It's another thing, completely, to come to grip with the fact that your teen daughter is one of them."

Edward frowned. "Can we leave Alice out of this, thanks…"

"I was speaking in general terms," his father said with a shake of his head. "Being a single parent can't be easy. And honestly, trusting a pre-teen or teenager to know what's right for themselves, is like saying a car can diagnose and fix itself when it breaks down. But you can't be there all the time-…"

"Teenagers are sexual creatures and will have sex regardless of what their parents have to say about it," Edward interrupted him.

"Yes, I get that, son. Here's the thing though: Charlie Swan entrusted us with his daughter. We reached out to him, because we saw that he was fighting to get his life puzzle together, because of his many long hours and occasional night and weekend shifts. We assured him that it was perfectly safe to send Bella over to our house, that we'd take good care of her. He had some concerns, asked if we could guarantee adult supervision at all times. We told him no, but that it wouldn't become an issue because our kids look out for one another…He asked about you specifically, mentioned your traffic violations and your disciplinary issues at school. We told him we trust all our children to behave sensibly. We vouched for you and… I guess one could say it's come back to bite us.… "

"You make it sound very one sided, like I'm some sexual predator that went after some poor innocent girl. It wasn't like that. The sex was very much consensual. The girl I first got to know, the Bella Swan I had in my room the night we first got together physically, was fully capable of making sane, rational decisions and owning them."

"Edward, it's pretty clear she hasn't been making wise decisions, or taken proper care of herself over the last six months or so. No prenatal checkups. No consult with any doctor. She kept the pregnancy a secret for nearly 30 weeks and gave birth out in the woods. It doesn't sound like she was in a good place."

"You're right. I'm just saying, she seemed fine and I had no reason to suspect anything of this magnitude would happen."

"Son, I hope you were telling the truth when you say you didn't know she was pregnant, because you will be asked this numerous times and your answer, along with the test result, will determine what happens next. You understand that right?"

"I swear, I had no idea," Edward insisted. "I didn't know anything until after she collapsed at school. Honestly, even then, I was so sure it HAD to be Jake who'd gotten her knocked up. I didn't even entertain the thought that it might be-.. that it could be-… I mean, I'm always so careful."

"Sometimes being careful isn't enough to keep you from getting into trouble," Carlisle said, putting his hand on the door handle, getting ready to leave the car. "Nothing is ever 100% foolproof."

"I knew you were going to say that," Edward exclaimed, narrowing his eyes at his father.

"If you knew that, then it sounds like you were entertaining the thought, after all."

"Whatever, dad," he grumbled. "Just hurry the fuck up, so we can go home again."

.

...

.

"Can't believe I agreed to this," Edward complained and checked his watch for what had to be the thousandth time since he'd gotten to the hospital. "Actually, can't believe I believed you when you said they'd send me home without getting anything done tonight."

What had happened was that the police station hadn't been nearly as short staffed as it usually was on a random week night. Instead, all available personnel seemed to have been called in to work around the clock. This meant there was nothing hindering them from escorting Edward over to the hospital to get him swabbed for that paternity test straight away. They'd been insisting on it even.

"Well son, obviously, I was wrong. Turns out I'm not all-knowing, after all," his father tried to joke, but it fell flat.

"Was that supposed to be funny?"

"Sorry. I got bad 'intel' on this one. But, honestly, does it really matter if we do this now, or in the morning? Let's play the hand we're dealt here."

"It's not like I have a choice," Edward grumbled.

"Are you nervous?"

Edward knew why his father was asking. He could feel his knee was bouncing uncontrollably again, a sign of stress.

"No… yes. A little. I don't like hospitals. Stale, stuffy air, funny smells and tons of germs… If I start breathing funny, please don't hesitate to sedate me."

"Are you having trouble breathing?"

"No, that was sarcasm." Frustrated, Edward stood up and began to pace. "I thought you said it was a fast procedure. What's taking them so long?"

"The actual DNA swab takes 30 seconds at the most. Right now, I believe we're waiting for a doctor, or nurse, to become available. Depending on what kind of evening they are having, the waiting time could be anything from ten minutes, up to maybe an hour."

"And afterwards? They are going to make me go back with them to the police station, aren't they?"

"We'll have to wait and see about that... The longer this test takes, the less likely it seems that they'll want to question you tonight. But if it comes to that, I'll be offering the use of my office, so we can get it done as quickly and smoothly as possible."

"Great, can't wait..."

"You should probably hold back a little on the sarcasm,"Carlisle commented before continuing, "We can always demand to have our lawyer present. Peter says, 90% of the time, just asking for a lawyer will end the interrogation."

"But won't that make it look like I've got something to hide?"

"Son, in your case I don't see how it can hurt. They are already gonna be hella suspicious of anything you say and do."

"Because no one will believe I didn't know she was pregnant?! Great pep-talk, dad," Edward **s** aid dryly

"No, I just meant, it will look a bit suspicious that you waited this long to come forward. "

"Oh…"

"It's still better than not coming forward at all, which is why we rushed here to get this done tonight in the first place, remember?"

"Okay, fine… "

"Please understand I'm only trying to help you."

"Yeah… I know. Sorry."

Ten minutes passed without anything happening. Then another five…

Edward hated sitting around with nothing to do. After fiddling around with his phone for a bit, he decided to send off a quick text to Alice.

What he really wanted to know was if she'd found what he'd set her out to look for – the potentially smoking gun - the clothes Bella had 'borrowed'. He couldn't ask that, though, not in so many words, at least.

" _Things are soooo slow over here. How's it_ _going on your end_ _?"_

He got a response almost instantly, one that left him with an overwhelming sense of nausea, because all it read was - _"Same here. Nothing new."_

However, before he could dwell too much on what this meant, a commotion was heard in the hallway outside the examining room they were waiting in. Yelling, swearing, and scuffling could be heard through the walls.

"Oh, I was just wondering how long it would take," Carlisle muttered, checking his watch

"Is that…?"

"Charlie Swan, yes. I believe so. Someone at the station must have contacted him." Carlisle rose from his chair and straightened his shirt. "I'm gonna go out there and talk to him. You will be alright in here on your own, won't you son?"

 _Eh, sure…He was trying to hold his internal freak-out at bay, all the while feeling like he was either going to throw up, or pass out. Or both._

"I won't let him in here, Edward. Don't worry."

.

….

.

The procedure was done, the DNA collected and placed in a sealed container, clearly labeled, signed and dated, leaving no room for any mix-ups.

"See, I told you it would be quick," Carlisle said switching on the turn signal and pull out into traffic.

They managed to dodge the police and their questions for the time being and were on their way home.

"You also said you wouldn't let Chief Swan into the room," Edward pointed out with a scowl, without taking his eyes from where he'd been staring out the car window.

The streets were dark now and the traffic was sparse and infrequent. The drive shouldn't take more than ten, fifteen, minutes.

"Charlie gave me his word he wouldn't say a word to you and he didn't. He just wanted to be there and make sure everything was done according to protocol. I felt it was a simple, uncomplicated request; one that I could not deny him, given the circumstances."

"Great, well that was fun - having him standing there by the door glaring at me, while I got a q-tip shoved down my throat. It got even better when I was forced to answer intimate questions about my sex life. Thanks a lot, dad."

"Now you're exaggerating. The only questions you were asked was if you'd been engaged in unprotected sex and if you'd been tested for STDs."

"Whatever… It wasn't fun."

"Well, son, I don't think Charlie was enjoying his evening either. Clearly, he doesn't want anyone near his daughter at the moment, which is understandable. I actually think he was worried you'd insist on seeing her in person before submitting your DNA."

"Why would I do that?" Edward asked, with a frown. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind… Okay, he had been wondering whether or not Bella was awake and what she would think about him being there, getting swabbed… but that was as far as he'd let his thoughts wander.

Sure, he wanted to talk to her at some point or another, but not like this, not in a hospital setting. He didn't want to see her tonight, because facing her right now would make all of this more real… not that he didn't already know it was real, but ….he just didn't feel prepared to face that particular reality yet…

For the briefest second his father took his eyes off the road to look at him. "Yeah, why would you want anything to do with the mess you've created? Silly me… You're only interested in saving your own skin here. Apart from that, you really don't give a damn about her, or any of this, now do you?"

"That's not true," Edward objected, but without any heat. He DID give a damn, just not a big enough of 'a damn' to please his father.

Obviously, he didn't wish death or harm on innocent babies... but he didn't feel a connection to them. Hearing the speculations about what had happened, felt like watching a news story unfold on TV, or like something you read about online. It was an unexplainable and horrible tragedy, but he couldn't say it affected him on a personal level. Other, than that the thought about the implications this could potentially have on Bella made him a bit sick to his stomach. Because, deny it as he might, he DID still care about Bella.

If he was honest with himself, he missed her. He missed what they'd once had; not just the hot sex, but the easy closeness, the inside jokes and the banter. Heck, he even missed the snuggling. He'd just spent the better part of the summer missing all those things… though it wasn't easy to admit it even to himself .

With a sigh, Edward turned his attention back to his father, who was droning on and on about repercussions and consequences.

"Aren't you getting ahead of yourself, dad?" he interrupted, when he couldn't stand listening to it anymore. "I heard you tell mom that Bella hasn't been in a talkative mood and that she isn't cooperating, not even with the police. You don't know the first thing about why Swan made the decisions she made, or what really happened to her... None of us do."

"Well, that may be true. What I do know, however, is that the girl is severely traumatized. I don't know what part you've played in all this, but you just can't shove your head in the sand anymore. I won't stand for that kind of behavior. That's not how your mother and I raised you. Is that understood?"

"That's unfair. I fessed up about having sex with her, didn't I? I went with you to the police station, without putting up a fight. I even voluntarily submitted DNA for that stupid test … I've done everything you've asked of me."

"You should have said something sooner. You knew what you had to do, yet put it off until you couldn't put it off any longer. That's exactly the kind of behavior I'm talking about," Carlisle said and made the last turn to reach their home.

"I did not know Black's paternity test would come back negative. I'm not psychic-... "

"We told you the situation was serious. We asked you if you knew anything that could be of help. Yet you said nothing. You had days to come forward with this, son, days," Carlisle interrupted with a shake of his head. "We're almost home. I suggest we drop this conversation for now. We should have the test result within the next 24-hours or so. We can talk then. Okay?"

"Fine by me," Edward agreed, feeling like banging his head against the car window in frustration.

Nothing else was said until they were pulling up on the driveway. That's when his father dropped the bomb.

"Edward, I think it would be for the best if you try to attend school tomorrow."

"What? No way! Didn't you hear what the officer, escorting us said? They are probably going to do a search at our place tomorrow. If there are going to be cops in my home, looking through my stuff, I most definitely plan on being here supervising!"

"First off, we still haven't seen a search warrant. Until they have the papers in order, it's just empty threats. Also, your home, your stuff? Who owns this place and whose money has paid for those possessions, you care so much about?"

"But dad, I-..."

"No buts. I've got no surgeries scheduled for tomorrow and was planning on catching up on the paperwork stacking up on my desks anyway. I should be able to do most of my work from home. That way, if the police show up, I'll be around to keep an eye on them. "

"Great, but there I'm still not going to-…"

"You're going to school and that's final!"

"Would you just listen for second? You realize how much bullshit is being spread around at school at the moment?" Edward tried one more time. "You know me, I don't have the patience or the temper for bullshit. If anyone crosses me, I absolutely will not hesitate to clap back and it won't be pretty."

"You're smarter than that, Edward-…"

"I'm just telling it as it is. I won't be able to hold back. Sending me to school right now is a recipe for disaster."

"Violence is never an acceptable way to respond to an insult or offence. If you have trouble controlling your temper, take ten deep breaths...or ten steps back-…."

"Yeah… because that works so well for me," Edward snorted.

"Honestly, I'm more worried about how you've been dealing, or not dealing, with your anxiety lately. But, the same advice can be applied there – deep conscious breathing while counting each breath. Remember, your mother and I are just a phone call away, should you need us."

"Great, thanks dad. As always, you think you're the shit and have all the answers," Edward's said as he reached for the door handle. "If you can't find me in the morning, I'll probably be out looking for a circus to join, or a suitable bridge to jump from-..."

"Son, I don't appreciate those kinds of jokes," his father said sternly, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder. "I promise that we'll help you get through this. Getting someone pregnant doesn't make you a bad person, just a human one. Just tell the truth and you'll be fine."

"I wasn't planning on lying," Edward said gruffly.

"That's good. Peter said he'll stop by sometime after lunch tomorrow. I can write you a note to get out of your last class. That should give us plenty of time to discuss strategies, before we're expected down at the station."

"What strategies? There is only one strategy…. I tell them I know absolutely nothing about this and that I don't have the answers they are looking for. Shouldn't take more than five minutes. No lawyer needed."

"Except, we insisted on having our lawyer present, so we might as well make use of him. He can be pretty bad ass, when he feels the situation calls for it "

"Fine."

.

…

.


	52. Chapter 52

AN: Edward thinks he's smarter than he really is… He's definitely both immature and selfish. He doesnt give a damn and could probably use a good wakeup call…. though the one he's about to get is perhaps a bit extreme.

As for his parents… they sure love giving lectures. But if the rules change from day to day (and from one child to another) and you're not available to offer structured guidance in 'real-time', then those lectures will fall in the 'too little too late' category.

There are some mentions of ADHD, autism and Asperger' syndrome in this chapter and while I always try to research the topics I write about, I obviously only have very basic knowledge about these things. So, sorry (in advance) if I've gotten any of the terminology, or symptoms wrong, I mean no offence.

.

…

.

*-=[The Past - Isabella Swan, 17 y.o]=-*

*52*

.

*Edward's POV *

.

…

.

School the following day was… painfully boring and annoying as hell. But then again, it almost always was, so nothing new there…

Edward hated school for many reasons. The never-ending popularity contest that was High School was just plain stupid to begin with. However, even if you took that part out of the equation, you'd still be left with nothing but mind-numbing, spirit-killing activities. Classes simply weren't entertaining enough to hold his attention and most, if not all, of his teachers were dull and uninteresting.

Also, Edward wasn't a people person to begin with and being around other students all day long was always grating on his psyche. It wore him out and made his mind feel slow and drained... like something was dragging it down. He didn't like walking around, feeling that way – especially not on a day like this, when he needed to remain sharp and stay in the present, be ready for anything… including all the questions the police were bound to throw at him.

His parents knew this… yet they still made him go to school that morning.

'Son, you should think about your grades and you need to keep up your attendance,' they'd said.

Ridiculous…

They even had the nerve to warn him about acting out and misbehaving. They always did that, they always treated him like he was a disobedient child or something, when in actuality he was smarter than the two of them combined.

If his parents had his best interest at heart, they should have listened to him and let him stay home. It wasn't like he couldn't tackle whatever makeup assignments that came in his way… In fact he could probably do those in his sleep.

His siblings liked to jokingly call him names like 'Brainiac' and 'Einstein', but the truth was his IQ really is in the 'super student' category. As arrogant as it may sound, he didn't need to pay attention in class to ace the assignments and pass all his exams with flying colors. He pretty much attended classes for attendance only…

So, for his parents to say they didn't want his school work to suffer was just plain stupid. They knew what his mind was capable off. Heck, his mother was the one that had insisted on dragging him off to an independent psychiatrist at the age of six, because she thought she saw 'Asperger' tendencies in him.

Obviously Edward had been clueless what she meant at the time, but had since then looked it up. Apparently, Asperger is consider a milder cousin of Autism and children with Asperger's Syndrome often come across like little professors that love to talk about their favorite subject in great detail.

Turns out, young Edward did not have Asperger or any other form of autism. He was just an unusually bright child with some minor OCD issues. Nothing more, nothing less.

The thing was, Edward had been blessed (or cursed) with a higher than average IQ which led him to develop strong reading comprehension skills very early on. He started reading the newspaper at the age of 4, after teaching himself the alphabet from a children's book on a whim (and this was before reading apps and computer games were available, mind you). Approaching his fifth birthday, he wrote a letter to the president, proposing a new law that would give all twins their own individual birthday. His main argument was, of course, that he was tired of always having to share his presents and cake with his annoying sister Alice. Many birthdays had passed since then and he was still stuck sharing milestones with Alice. Of course, his mother (the hoarder than never threw anything out) still kept a framed copy of the letter in her office and teased him about it every once in a while.

Anyways…school work had never been a problem. Not only was Edward a keen reader, but he also had a somewhat photographic memory, which in essence meant once he read something, in school books or elsewhere, it stuck with him for a long ass time. This, of course, did wonders for his grades, but left his mind cluttered with tons of useless facts and redundant knowledge, most off which he could have lived without, to be honest.

Thankfully, with time he learned to curb the urge to blurt random facts to strangers. No one likes a know-it-all... Sadly, his social skills had remained shitty to this day though, but that was an entirely different story.

Of course, as he got older his OCD had flared up and taken on a different form… cue fun repeating rituals such as checking and rechecking stuff and, of course, excessive hand-washing, teeth brushing and showering.

Then again, what teenage by does not enjoy taking long showers? He could practically hear Emmett say something along those lines. His brother was no stranger to cracking jokes at his own expense, in effort to make Edward feel more 'normal'.

To be perfectly honest though, 'normal' he was not.

His strong dislike of germs and his fear of becoming 'contaminated' was a burden he wished had never come to him…. And the panic attacks when they occurred were no stroll in the park either…

But back to the point here, Edward hated school and he hated the fact that his parents made him go even though he had better thing to do with his time – like preparing himself for the upcoming visit to the police station.

'We just want to do some further questioning' - that's what the police officer from the night before had said. Yeah, riiight…. Even if Chief Swan would not be physically present in the room, there was still a high possibility that it would turn into something of an interrogation on steroids.

Obviously, Edward contemplated playing hooky. The thought of taking off for a few days and skipping out on both school and the police stuff was very tempting. However, the voice of reason won out. The last thing he needed right now was to give his parents and Chief Swan more ammunition to add to their respective case's against him… The way things were going, he knew he was lucky if he got to stay put and finish high school in Forks. Worst case scenario at the moment was if Charlie Swan managed to get him expelled, leaving his parents with no other choice but ship him off to some 'home for troubled youth', or military school, or something…

Maybe he shouldn't fight it. Ultimately, the goal had always been to get out of Forks. Though, he'd always envisioned himself going somewhere bigger and more exciting than military school... The plan had always been New York and Juilliard first, then…. Europe maybe… AND he'd always envisioned sharing his high school graduation with Alice. As annoying as his twin was, she had beenone of his closest allies throughout the years. She could read him like no one else could (except maybe Bella, but no, he was not going to let his thoughts go there…).

He wanted to stay put and graduate with Alice. Period.

Actually, he could have skipped a year (or maybe even two) in middle school. It had come up for discussion several times over the years, but he'd refused to leave his sister behind and his parents had always insisted he needed more time to mature and grow… Of course, this had been before his OCD got worse and his teachers started complaining of his anti-social tendencies and rowdy behavior in general. After that, the suggestion to move him up a class never came up again.

While Alice definitely had an intelligence that rivaled his own, she didn't fare as well in school as he did. She simply never had the patience to sit still and read for more than a few minutes at a time. She was impulsive by nature and there were always so many other things she wanted to explore. She was an extrovert and a thrill-seeker, but also a very tactile person. There was just no containing Alice, but that was part of her personality…

Edward had no doubts his sister would succeed in whatever profession she selected for herself. Everyone knows the most important things in life are not taught in a classroom anyway. See, another reason why dragging someone out of bed and off to school was a bad idea.

Of course, this is where his mother would object and say something about teenagers needing school to work on their social skills and personal growth... or something to that extent…

What-the –fuck-ever… being in school was pissing him off to no end, just like he'd known it would. Actually, it was turning out worse than he'd predicted. Because, apparently, someone had seen Edward and his father at the hospital the night before…. Probably nurse Stanley (Jess's mom), she had something of a reputation for being about as loose-lipped as it gets.

However, it didn't stop there, as the same person also claimed blood work had been done after hours - important blood work- that had now been sent off to a proper lab for further analysis. While no one dared to ask Edward about any of this to his face (thankfully, everyone seemed to know about the torched hand and the gas burner incident by now), it didn't stop the speculations from running wild again.

There was also talk about the latest article in The Daily Olympian in which they were quoting an anonymous police source about numerous sensational revelations – something about a plastic bag and duct tape. Edward hadn't read the piece yet and probably wouldn't.

Anyway… much like last time he'd been in school, he couldn't go anywhere without attracting attention. People were still staring and whispering behind his back. Only this time the whispers seemed to be of a different nature all together…

' _Haven't you heard the latest? Cullen's been banging Swan ever since she first got here!'_

' _Actually, I heard she's been with so many guys, she' has no idea who the father is. That's why they are being called to the hospital, one by one, to get tested…"_

" _He's violent and unpredictable, that one…and she is trash for sure… but 'disposing' a baby and leaving it to die…that's an all new level of sadistic cruelty!"_

The thing was, no one had anything solid to go on. Sure, everyone with a pair of eyes knew Edward could often be seen sitting at with Bella (and Alice… and a whole bunch of other people) at lunch, but that was about it… Outside of the cafeteria, there had been no interaction between the two and Edward knew he had given zero indication that he had any special interest in Bella. Yet, gossip spread like wildfire.

So…. school was hell from the outset, and got worse and only seemed to get worse as the day progressed.

Not even James with his obnoxious and crude comments were much distraction to speak of. The guy had a cold was being a whiny little bitch.

Edward got through the first half of the day with only a few minor incidences. At lunch break, however, he snapped and yelled at Newton to stay the fuck out of his way, which resulted in the guy backward-tripping over a waste bin, ending up with a nose bleed.

Edward got away with only a warning though, as there had been plenty of witnesses around that could verify that Newton had tripped over his own two feet and that Edward had not laid hands on him.

Speaking of witnesses… Edward spent the rest of the lunch hour debating with Jasper about whether or not to approach Tanya Denali.

Because, of course Alice had spilled the beans to Jasper about Edward's many predicaments - the phone log, the DNA test, the impending visit to the police station etc. She had been very thorough it seemed… ugh…

But hey, it could have been worse –Jasper was chill and easy to speak to at least. No drama there… Oh, he could be judgmental as fuck, but he never caused a scene. In fact, he rarely ever raised his voice or got baited into arguments. He would simply nod and hum at the right places, before offering his own take on whatever subject dealt with.

In this case, the subject at hand was Tanya D. Edward was considering, cornering Tanya to try and get her to speak to him about the night of the party. He had several reasons for this; the most important one was to make sure he had an alibi for the night, should he need one. Even if Tanya had not stuck around the whole evening, she still felt a hell of a lot more reliable as a witness than Stanley did. However, Jasper was not agreeing with him on that one.

"Denali is not your friend, man. You know that. You may have history, but I don't think you can count on her loyalty this time."Jasper said as the two stepped outside the school building for their post-lunch smoke.

"You think I should go with Stanley? I swear that girl has fewer brain cells than an amoeba."

"I don't think you should approach either one of them with this right now. You always got Rosalie and McKenna to rely on. They both, along with a whole bunch of other people, saw your drunken ass practically being carried up the stairs to your room. That alone, should be alibi enough for anyone."

"Yeah, but there were still so many things I can't remember clearly, things that T might be able to answer, like if Bella said anything before rushing out the door and if she had her phone with her…. and, also, whether or not she had already switched into my clothes…. You know, stuff like that."

"I'm just saying don't do anything rash, you're not under arrest or anything. The police just want to ask you some questions. Just tell them you know nothing and leave it at that."

"Well, it wouldn't be a lie, that's for sure. Nothing I know, or think I know, makes any sense. I'm confused as hell about the whole thing!"

"There is one thing that is pretty clear though, Eddie. You were barely walking straight, or walking at all. There is no way you snuck out into the woods to deliver those babies… which is what Rosalie will say, if asked about it."

"Ah, but the Ice Queen kind of hates my guts, so I'm not sure I can count on her to be very helpful…."

"Emmett would drop her in a heartbeat, if she said or did anything that could potentially hurt you. Now, that's someone whose loyalty you can always be sure of."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

The conversation continued back and forth like that for the rest of the lunch break. Jasper kept warning him about treading carefully with Denali until Edward promised to not do anything hasty.

As fate would have it, all thoughts of Tanya Denali were soon forgotten though. Because as he walked up to his locker to get his books, five minutes later, he found a surprise waiting for him.

There, leaning against his locker, stood none other than Leah Clearwater.

"What do you want?" Edward scoffed at her, because they were not on exactly on friendly terms - actually, they barely even on speaking terms last time he checked.

"Can we talk?" was what she said in return as he came closer.

"About?"

"Something I think you'll find… interesting," she answered cryptically and pushed herself away from his locker.

"I doubt anything you have to say will interest me."

"I'm pretty sure it will," she said, and then started walking away from him. She stopped after a few steps, turning her head a little, adding, 'It's about your girl, Cullen."

That of course had his full attention.

"You're full of it! I don't have a girl."

"I'm her next door neighbor. I see stuff, I know stuff…"

"You've never seen me around Swan's house. If you say you have, you're lying."

"Okay, but I know what I know." And with that she was walking away again. "Are you coming?" she called over her shoulder, leaving him no choice, but to follow her hurriedly.

.

…

.


	53. Chapter 53

AN:/ So this chapter takes on a bit of a SKAM twist… If you've seen the first season of SKAM Austin, you'll know what I mean as you read the chapter. And if you're unfamiliar with SKAM (the Norwegian Internet-Based Hit Drama) all together, I can highly recommend it. So many great characters and fab acting…. Google it and you'll find where and how to watch the original show it with English subtitles. I loved the Evak season.

…

 **.**

 ***-=[The Past - Isabella Swan, 17 y.o]=-***

 ***53***

 **.**

 _ ***Edward's POV ***_

.

…

.

This was so not the way Edward had envisioned this day to go.

How did he end up here? Alone, in a remote corner of school with Leah Clearwater… of all people. He must have pissed off the universe or something…?!

"Now talk, and make it fast," he demanded as Leah closed the door behind him.

She'd led him straight to a deserted handicap toilet in the Music, Art, and Home Economics wing. It was a classic make out spot, but surely that wasn't why they were there…right? Because he had zero interest in going down that route again.

Ugh… no, just NO… Leah had her shot and blew it.

He thought he had made that clear, however, judging from the vibe he was getting from all this, maybe he hadn't been clear enough.

She kept looking at him with an intensely determined expression on her face, like she's planning something. When she finally spoke up, though, it wasn't to proposition on him, or jump him, or anything of the sort. No, instead what she said was, "Deny it as much as you like, but I know it wasn't a blood drive that had you making a visit to the hospital last night. Your girl sure managed to fool us all, but now that the secrets out, there is stuff I need to know…"

 _WTF?!_

Edward felt his jaw tightened. "She's NOT my girl," he said slowly, trying but failing to keep the agitation out of his voice. "And what stuff? I don't know any more about this than you do."

"Of course you don't…" Leah snorted, like she could argue that point but didn't. "I wasn't gonna ask about… you know how the test went, or private stuff like that. That's your business. Answer me this though… Did you tell her about us,"- She gestured between them- "…or did she find out from someone else?"

"What the fuck are you on about now? There is no us. Nothing happened - nothing that counts anyway. Besides, that was a-…"

"Ages ago. Yes, of course I know that," she interrupted him. "But for like a millisecond, it kind of looked like we had something going on between us and I need to know what, exactly, Bella knows about it? Because I know she knows. Did you tell her? Or did she find out from someone else?"

Well, that question was easy to answer. "She's friends with Alice. Need I say more? I thought it was obvious where she gets her scoops."

"Well, Jake runs his mouth like a girl. I figured he might have said something," she shot back. "That's how I knew, by the way…. about you and Bella. "

What? Edward narrowed his eyes at her. "Black told you?"

"No, but my brother overheard him telling someone how HIS Bella had been stolen from right under his nose. And then he started whining about how unfair it is that the richest asshole, with the fanciest car and the shiniest gifts always gets the girl… especially when the guy also happens to be the biggest, dysfunctional nutcase out there, with more issues than a goddamn magazine stand. I don't believe your actual name was even technically mentioned, but there was no question who he was speaking about."

"Wow, a gift-giving, girl stealing asshole… he sure got me pegged," Edward shock his head. "This whole conversation is dumb." Frustrated, he stuck his hands in his pockets to keep from hitting a wall or anything.

"You're missing the point. "

"What point? Sorry, but Black being a whiny brat with a big mouth hardly comes as a shock to me."

"No, I suppose not."

"Come on, what's this about? The real reason, this time. Please!"

She didn't say anything for a moment, but neither did Edward. He could wait.

As he stared her down he realized she'd changed her hair. It was both shorter and darker then it had been before. Was this a recent change? He couldn't be sure. Honestly, he hadn't given her a though in… well forever…

Leah was a pretty girl, there was no denying that, but she always had that pissed off vibe about her. Oh, she could be friendly and nice, but only when she felt like it… This new, edgy look with a darker, asymmetrical bob was more fitting, than her old, softer 'nice-girl-hairstyle' ever had. Now her looks matched the persona.

She still hadn't said anything. Edward was growing tired of waiting. "Why am I here, Leah?" he asked and raised both hands to his head in a frustrated, hair-pulling gesture. "Clearly, this is a waste of time. I should go-..."

"Wait," Leah stopped him, before he could say anything else. "I could tell the minute Bella found out about us. You wanna know how, Eddie?"

"No, not really, but I'm sure you'll tell me anyway."

"I could tell, because suddenly she started looking at me differently… Not like the others though, not like I was something wrong or dirty...No, she has more class than that, but still she was looking at me like I was a foreign object that she couldn't quite figure out."

"So…?"

"So, does Bella know about… well, about the true reason we got together?"

"True reason? That's a funny way of wording it, seeing as you certainly didn't tell me ahead of time what your true reasons were. I had to find that out the hard way. Also, I don't see how that question is even relevant-…."

"Ah, but it is…sort of. Just answer and I'll try and explain."

"Bella only knows what Alice has told her, so I guess you could say she's only heard the watered down version of it all."

"I'm going to need you to be more specific than that."

"Specific about what?" He narrowed his eyes at her. "If she's looking at you differently, it's because she knows about your cheating boyfriend…. Nothing else."

"Nothing else?"

"She doesn't know about the Adderall… No one does." He paused to take the anger from his voice, before he continued. "Despite the way you screwed me over, I still kept your secrets. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"That's not why I'm asking… but thank you. I know you don't believe me, but I never meant to get you into trouble because of me."

"That's right I don't believe you. From where I'm standing it sure looked like you didn't care about anyone or anything other than getting your needs filled."

"That's-… Okay, I suppose you're partly right. I was pretty desperate after Sam cut me off. Don't underestimate the addictive potential of Adderall and the depths that your addiction can take you to."

"So you're saying that makes it alright-…"

"Let me finish. After Sam cut me off, my options were pretty limited. In fact, there were only so many people I could think of that, A, didn't worship the ground Sam walked on and B, weren't known for selling fake, or dangerous stuff, or looking for new, inventive ways to rip people off. There was you and your brother and then there was James Hunter. Now, no girl with half a brain wants anything to do with the likes of James-..."

"Now you're twisting things!" Edward interrupted her, shaking his head vehemently. "I never sold you anything, nor did I take a cut out of your money for myself. That's not my thing! I did you a favor, because I felt sorry for you… and because I never liked Uley and his boys to begin with. That's all there was to it. I've never been interested in profiting from other people's addiction! And I know my brother feels the same way."

"Okay, sorry. I just knew you and your brother got your stuff from Embry Call and that you were rather peculiar about quality and safety. I needed them uppers and you were my best, not to mention safest bet to score."

"Not to mention, my reasonably good looks and questionable reputation, fitted beautifully into your revenge scheme."

"That's not how it was. I didn't plan that part out in advance. It was an opportunity grabbed on the fly, without any thoughts on consequences."

"Riiight…" Edward snorted. "See, that's the part I don't believe... But it's ancient history now. I don't see why you had to drag me here to tell me the same old story…all over again."

"Eddie…" She heaved a sigh, looking about as frustrated with him as he was with her. Good, she deserved that.

"Leah," he responded, mimicking her tone of voice. Then added, "See you around," as he sidestepped her, moving towards the door.

"Wait! Don't go!" she protested as he brushed past her. "You've gotta stay and hear me out, there is more-…"

"No, I don't have to do anything I don't want to."

"But it's important! I haven't told you everything yet. You've got to give me a chance to explain."

"Explain what, though?! Because so far you haven't said anything I didn't already know."

"Listen! Obviously, I don't hang with the same people anymore… but my brother still does, you know. So I still hear stuff, I still see stuff… What I'm trying to say is that I see certain patterns developing! You must have noticed these cycles of betrayals and retributions too. I mean, seeing as most of them centers around you and your sister… Anyway, I'm thinking, maybe, your girl has been dragged into it as well-.."

"God damn it! How many times do I need to tell you - she isn't my girl," he snapped at her.

"Okay, my bad… Please hear me out though!"

"NO. I'm out of here." He was already at the door, but he hesitated.

 _What circles? What patterns? Had she taken one pill too many, or something? Or… did she know something that could be important….?_

"Please," she pleaded.

His curiosity won out (of course it did). "Fine, but not here, not now."

"Tonight? The usual place."

"Tonight." He confirmed with a court nod. "I'll see if I can make it. "

"Text me when you're on your way."

.

…..

.

AN:/ So Leah and Edward have a past… sort of, but it's not quite as straight forward as people around school think in terms of who hit on whom first and why. We'll hear what Bella thinks of that in the next chapter.


	54. Chapter 54

AN: Some insight on the Leah situation… from Bellas pov

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-=[ Isabella Swan, 17 yo, the past]=-

.

Everyone has a past; of course Bella was VERY well aware of this fact.

Edward wasn't some blushing virgin. He wasn't a manwhore, by any means, but by his own account he wasn't a monk either.

Naturally, this meant there were bound to be ex-girlfriends (or ex hookups, or whatever he liked to call them) popping up every once and a while. Of course Bella knew this. Still, she didn't particularly like hearing about them.

Finding out that Leah Clearwater was one of those girls, had come a bit out of left field (to put it mildly…). She had not seen that one coming for sure.

Bella tried to tell herself that she was more annoyed than jealous, but honestly…. perhaps a triple combo of feeling annoyed, insecure AND jealous was more like it.

And the annoyance was mostly because no one had thought to tell her about Leah sooner. Then again, why would anyone even suspect she had any interest in this kind of information to begin with? No one at school knew about her and Edward. And Edward himself certainly didn't have enough foresight to give any kind of heads-up. Fuck buddies don't do that, they don't owe each other anything. Period.

.

…

.

Like many great conversations the one about Leah started in the school cafeteria one grey and drizzly spring day.

"The douchebag is staring at your tits again," Edward commented in a clipped voice, as he put his tray down at their regular table. "This obsession of his is getting a bit too much. Must be some sort of Freudian mommy complex…You know, not breast fed enough, not hugged enough-…"

"Who are you talking about?" Bella, who was already seated at the table, looked up from her food.

At half past eleven, the cafeteria at Forks High was busy, but not packed yet. Not that many people were looking their way - except … "Oh, you mean Newton?" she concluded.

"Who else would I mean?" Edward responded testily.

Oooh, grumpy much!

"You could just as well have been talking about Eric," Bella pointed out, trying to act nonchalant. "I caught him trying to get a look down my top in P.E yesterday."

True story, only she left out the part where she had gotten a god damn badminton ball stuck down her cleavage, which was why Eric (her badminton partner) had turned around to gawk at her. Edward didn't need to know that though.

Not that she thought something trivial like this would make him jealous. Edward Cullen didn't do jealousy….he didn't bother with feelings. (*insert eye roll*).

"Classy, but no, I was definitely talking about Newton," Edward snorted, unscrewing the cap of his water bottle, while sending a not-so-subtle middle finger in Mikes direction. "He's the one acting like he's never seen a pair of breasts before."

"Maybe he hasn't…. seen real ones, I mean. If his only references are the fake silicone tits seen in porn and Jessica Stanley's wonky-.." she cut herself short, when she suddenly noticed that Mike had moved. In fact, he was steadily making his way over.

"Incoming!" she groaned, looking around for someone to save her. "This is your fault, Cullen! I don't want to speak with him. You fix this!"

Edward merely shrugged. "He's your admirer. You talk to him."

Where was Alice when you needed her? Or Rosalie?

The former, she realized, was still held up in the line to the Pizza window. Unfortunately, she vaguely remembered hearing something about Rosalie having to leave for an emergency dentist appointment… or something.

Ugh! Bella would have to tackle this on her own. Because she knew better than to expect any help from Edward.

Oh, and it probably wouldn't be long before Taylor and Eric joined in too. They always stuck together, those three. Alice often referred to them as Bella's pack of yapping admirers... Angie called them fruit flies. Bella simply preferred to ignore them all together, if she could.

"Hi Arizona!"

Mike came to a halt just in front of the table, beaming down at her with that goofy grin of his.

"Uh… I mean hi!" she responded, giving him a fake smile in return. "Didn't see you there, Mickey!"

"Please, don't call me that," Newton groaned, scratching the back of his neck. "It makes me think my mother is here. That was her name for me when I was little."

Even though Bella didn't want to encourage conversation, she couldn't stop herself from teasing him a little. "Hate to break it too you, but I know your mom, seeing as she is my boss and all and she still calls you 'her little Mickey'."

A snort behind her, told her Edward was listening to the exchange with great amusement.

"Not to my face she doesn't," Newton said, choosing to ignore Edward's presence entirely.

"So, Mike….not that it's not great to see you, cause it is, but is there by chance any particular reason you came over?"

She hoped she didn't sound too bitchy, but she was hungry, starving even and just wanted to be left alone so that she could eat her lunch in peace.

"Ah, yes," he nodded. "I just wanted to come over and compliment you on your outfit, because I think you're looking very smart today… You should wear tops like that more often. It suits you."

"Uhm… thanks, I guess," Bella muttered, looking down at herself. She'd taken her favorite, almost worn out, dark hoodie off and draped it over her chair. The soft grey top she wore underneath, was by no means new, but it had perhaps not been quite this…. tight, the last time she'd worn it.

Most of her clothes fit her a bit more snuggly these days. She'd not weighed herself recently, but it seemed as though she'd gained some of the weight back that she'd lost during those first six months following her mother's death. She supposed it made her look curvier, more feminine, or something.

Seriously though, it wasn't like she was dressed particularly provocative or anything... In fact, there were others that wore far more revealing attires to school on a daily basis *cough* Jess Stanley *cough*. So it made little to no sense for Mike to walk up and start giving her weird compliments about her clothes out of the blue.

"Not that you don't look nice all the time!" Mike added, sensing her confusion. "I like your regular outfits too! It's just-..."

"Cut the crap Newton! Can't you see you're making Isabella uncomfortable," Edward suddenly spoke up, surprising the hell out of Newton… and Bella too.

You see, fuck-buddies can't be seen talking to one another in public, according to Edward Cullen. And while they often found themselves sitting at the same table during lunch hour, it was very rare for him to acknowledge her presence in any way shape or form, when others, (outside of his close knit group of friends and family) were around to witness it.

Of course, he was a wee bit more talkative when they were alone together. Actually, behind closed doors, he tended to be an opinionated bastard… She even suspected, he picked arguments with her on purpose, because he got a kick out of seeing her get royally pissed off at him.

"It's called giving a compliment you idiot," Mike shot back at Edward. "You should try it some time."

"Mickey, Mickey… Did you get lost again? Sometimes I wonder if there is something seriously wrong with you!" Alice suddenly appeared at the table, shooing at Newton to step back so that she could reach her usual seat next to Bella

"That makes two of us," Emmett laughed, as he too, pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Cut it out, I was just stopping by to tell Bella I like her outfit today," Mike defended himself. "Girls like to hear that they look pretty."

"From their boyfriends, maybe," Alice was shaking her head at him. "Not from some random dude, bugging them while they're trying to eat. Drooling is unsanitary, after all. "

Mike frowned. "I'm not some random dude… I'm her friend. Also, I don't drool so-…"

"Was there anything else, Newton?" Edward interrupted him, "You're ruining my appetite with your ugly face and idiotic behavior. No one wants you here!"

"Says, the weird, anti-social one," Mike shot back, still not showing any signs of leaving.

Normally this was where Alice would step in, but she must have been having an off day or something, because she merely hummed like she was agreeing with Mike. Actually, she was being uncharacteristically quiet all together….

"Anyway, I'd like to ask you something, if that's alright?" Mike's focus was, once again, directed solely on Bella. "I'm sure you're aware that the Spring Fling is coming up soon, right?"

Ah, the Spring Fling…

Unfortunately, the annual Winter Formal – also known as 'the Ho Ho Dance' - had been canceled last minute this year, due to a bad snow storm. The dance planning committee had tried, but failed to move it to a later date. It had simply been too close to the holiday season to make it work. However, the committee had taken upon themselves to fix the situation by squeezing in an informal school dance now instead (eventhough Prom was just around the corner). Because God forbid, the students were left a school dance short when the school year was over!

So now there was a 'Spring Fling Mania' of sorts happening, where everyone was scrambling to secure dates, score tickets and sort out outfits... and all of this on very short notice.

"Yes, I'm aware," Bella answered Mike with a shrug, acting like she didn't know where this was going, even though she pretty good guess what would come next. She'd been dreading this …

Alice knew too, it seemed, as she was hiding a smile behind her hand - no doubt enjoying this farce immensely …which would explain why she hadn't chased Mike away already.

"I wanted to know if you'd consider going to the dance with me … as my date," Mike continued _,_ looking down at her gravely.

"Are you serious? Right in front of my salad?" Emmett complained in the background.

"Oh that's sweet, I'd love to, Mike," Bella quipped, firing off another fake smile at him, "But unfortunately, I've already made arrangements to go with someone else. Sorry."

"Aww, that's a bummer, Mickey," Alice said innocently. "Sounds like you're too late."

Mike ignored Alice. "Who?" he said instead, the question directed at Bella. "Who are you going with? Is it Taylor?"

"No. I'm going with my friend Jake," she replied, because douche or not, Jake was still the straw she tended to grab in these type of situations. No one ever questioned her when she turned down a trip to the mall, or the movies because she wanted to spend time with Jake. It worked like a charm almost every time.

Out of the corner of her eye, she was watching Edward, gauging his reaction to all this. As predicted his jaw clenched and his eyes hardened. No lost love there… Edward really, truly hated Jake and he hated when Bella brought him up in conversation. Even the briefest of mentions usually had him cussing up a storm.

Mike didn't seem too pleased either. "Jacob Black? He doesn't even go to this school," he whined. "Besides, isn't he like two years younger than you?"

"That's right, he doesn't go here, but I'm allowed to bring a guest. I've already cleared that with Rose, who's on the committee (a blatant lie, of course). Also, he's old enough to get in, so I don't see why his age should be a problem."

"It's just-… Never mind," Mike looked miffed. "I'll let you have the afternoon to think about it. If you change your mind-…"

Just then, someone came jogging up to them, hitting Mike in the back of the head.

"Ouch! What the fuck was that for?"

"You know why, Newton. We had a pact, and you just broke it," Taylor shouted above the clatter, before disappearing out of the cafeteria.

"This has been a blast y'all, but I've gotta jet," Mike said, giving Bella one last smile, before taking off after his 'frenemy'.

"Aww, how cute! Your pack of admirers is beating the hell out of each other," Alice teased Bella. "I heard from Eric's little sister that the pact was for all three of them to ask you together. Only, you went and picked someone else entirely! I'm loving this! Very entertaining…"

 _WTF?_

Bella was about to respond to that, when Edward interrupted her.

"Why didn't you just tell him you don't want anything to do with that stupid dance?" he asked, in a voice that was strangely without both tone and inflection.

"I could have, but what good would that have done?" she snorted. "It's Mike Newton we're talking about. He would have kept pestering me about this, not stopping until he got his way."

"True, he got her to come to one of our games, remember? And we all know Bella here HATES football with passion," Emmett laughed.

"I, for one, would love it if you came to the dance with us, Bella," Alice said hopefully. She was back to her ol' talkative self agai,n it seemed. "I didn't know you were seeing Jake again, but if he makes you happy, then I'm happy for you. Now, on to the important stuff…. We need to start planning! When can we go shopping for dresses? I'm free this weekend, what about you?"

Ugh, shopping with Alice meant hours of walking from store to store for hours in search of the perfect outfit. Not fun at all… 'torture' was the word that sprung to mind

"I'll… have to get back to you about that one, Alice," Bella started responded, but didn't get to finish, as Edward cut in.

"Are you daft, Alice? She doesn't need a dress, because she isn't planning on going to the dance. It was all just an excuse to get Newton off her back," he explained slowly like talking to a three year old.

"That's not true… wait, is that true?" Alice turned to Bella. "Did I just get my hope up for nothing?"

"I wasn't planing-… " she started, but then something made her change her mind. "I mean, I haven't actually decided one way or the other yet. And before I do, I'll obviously need to ask Jake if he is up for it. "

She could feel Edward's eyes burning holes in the side of her head. "It's been ages since me and Jake did anything fun together. We have been talking about going out and seeing a movie or something. Maybe we could skip the movie and stop by the dance for a bit instead. He might already have other plans for that particular night though."

"Oh, ask him! I bet, he'll be honored to take you to the dance, you'll see," Alice assured her.

"Oh, he'll be ecstatic alright. He's no better than those other losers," Edward snorted, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the table Newton usually sat at.

"I can't imagine you in a girly, pastelly dress, Swan," Emmett's face contorted as if he was thinking hard, his forehead starting to wrinkle. "Nope. You should come to the dance though. It will be fun… Spiked punch, cheesy music, teenagers rubbing up against one another."

"Yeah, that sounds like my kind of fun …NOT." Bella grimaced.

"Then stay home. If Mike gives you a hard time about it, just tell him daddy changed his mind and wouldn't let you out of the house or something. There problem solved," Edward stated with an airy wave of his hand, as if dismissing the whole thing.

"Shut the trap, Cullen! Whether I end up going or not, the decision will be mine and mine alone," Bella shot back at him, almost forgetting they had an audience.

Apparently, she wasn't the only one momentarily forgetting their surroundings, because Edward responded by saying, "I can't believe you're even considering going with HIM. Haven't you learned anything from your past mistakes?"

"Wait, what mistakes? Why do I feel like I'm missing something here?" Emmett said at the same time as Alice asked, "Why are you giving her such a hard time about this?"

"Yeah, why Edward?" Bella challenged, jutting her chin out at him.

"Because… I don't like this kid, or his friends," Edward shot back. "It's that simple!"

"Let me get this straight, just because you dislike him, everyone else should dislike him too?" Bella asked for clarification.

She knew she was pushing it. Any second now he'd get up and storm out of there.

"Excuse me for trying to look out for you," Edward crossing his arms over his chest. "He's bad news and you know it."

"Don't listen to my stupid brother," Alice snorted. "He's just grumpy because of the way the whole Leah-situation played out. Newsflash- yes, it sucks that everyone found out about it the way they did, but that was last year, Eddie! Move on already! Everyone else has…"

"No, that's not it. Eddie is just bummed that Embry won't cater to his needs anymore," Emmett corrected his sister. "You see Bella, all the rez kids are loyal to Uley and no money in the world will change that. So now, Eddie has to play nice with James to get his hands on the good stuff."

"I was getting to that," Alice huffed. "None of this would have happened if Leah hadn't dragged Edward into her beef with Sam."

"Eddie is Jamie's bitch now and he only has himself to blame for it!" Emmett pointed out.

"Oh, shut up, you two!" Edward scowled, throwing his near empty water bottle at his brother, sending water droplets everywhere.

Emmett in turn jumped up to grab his brother in a neck-lock. "I'm right though and you know it."

While the two brothers wrestled, Bella tuned to Alice asking, "What Leah-situation? Is this about my neighbor, Leah? Leah Clearwater?"

"Yes, that's the one. You don't know what happened? Wow! I can't believe Jake hasn't told you about this already."

"Told me what? What happened? "

"Oh, just a little cheating scandal - typical high school drama, really… It happened last year, like way before you moved here, so I suppose that's why he hasn't said anything. It's still a bit strange though, considering she's your next door neighbor and everything."

"Are you saying Jake and Leah were part of some kind of love triangle…? The only thing he's told me is that they used to be friends, but that they had a falling out. That's all I know."

"No, not Leah and Jake." Alice shook hear head. " Leah was dating jakes friend Sam Uley. You might not have heard of him, because he's older than us, goes to community college in Port A now, but-.. "

"Oh, I know who Sam is. He's that beefy guy that makes Emmett look tiny in comparison."

"Hey, you wound me, Bella," Emmett said indignantly, loosening his grip on Edward's neck to pout at her.

"Sorry! What I meant to say was, I know Sam, he's that big, bulky guy, roughly the same size as you, only a wee bit taller… and way less handsome, of course," she amended, with a smile.

"That's better," he nodded, stealing a pizza slice of off Bella's tray, the ongoing wrestling match already forgotten.

"As I was saying," Alice continued." Leah and Sam had been dating for about a year when Sam screwed her over — quite literally and in public! The whole gang was getting together for a bonfire down at First Beach. Leah had turned down the invitation, initially, as she was supposed to be working, but then her schedule changed or something. Anyway, she caught Sam and her cousin Emily together in Sam's car. The way she found them, stark naked and mid-act, so to speak, left no room for misinterpretation."

"Ouch, what a jerk!"

"Yeah, that's our sentiment exactly," Alice was making a sweeping gesture around the table. "Leah is not a bad person. She made some rater questionable decisions in the after match of it all, but she didn't deserve what Sam did to her, or how his friends treated her afterwards."

"Very questionable decisions, indeed," Emmett commented, wiggling his eyebrows at his brother.

"Stop interrupting me," Alice complained. "Leah was pretty upset with Sam, and quite rightfully so. No wait, upset isn't the right word, she was livid. Tires were sliced and a handful of scratches were added to the front hood of Sam's car."

"Leah did that? 'Leah the lone'? Really?" Bella asked, using the nick-name she'd heard Angela's friends use. "I mean, I didn't think she had it in her. She always seems so reserved and… well, bitter - which makes way more sense now."

"Yep, Leah did that," Alice confirmed. "When she gets mad, she means business."

"Okay. I still can't wrap my head around it, but good for her, I guess."

"Wait till you hear the rest, though… Afterwards, Sam somehow managed to get every single one of their friends to take his side… your Jake included."

Bella frowned, hearing this. "Oh, he must not know exactly what happened then…only going by what he'd been told, or something… Jake's pretty loyal to his friends. They're a very close-knit group, I know that much."

"Yeah, I think that's part of the issue. It's almost like they have their own little 'cult' going on…"

"You haven't told her the best part yet," Emmett cut in. "You see, Casanova over here, "he paused to point at his brother. "… swooped in to comfort the girl. He must have seen a golden opportunity to dazzle her with his intellect and sparkly personality... Or whatever it is he does to get the girls throwing themselves at him. Anyway, he landed himself an easy la-…"

"Don't," Edward suddenly interrupted brusquely, before Emmett could finish the sentence.

"Don't what?" Emmett laughed, ignoring the daggers his brother was shooting at him.

"Don't remind me. I'm trying to eat here." Edward's face was suddenly blank and unreadable again.

 _And… Oh!_

"You slept with her?" Bella asked, feeling her stomach drop and she connected the dots.

"No Bella, we sat around in our undies, eating ice cream and playing cards," Edward responded, heaving an exasperated sigh, acting like it was stupid of her to even ask.

"Well, in that case it was Strip Poker," Alice interjected. "You forget, the whole school saw photos she uploaded on the internet afterwards … Gosh do I wish I could un-see the sight of your pale, naked ass!"

"Sarcasm, Alice. I was being sarcastic," Edward shot back. "Yes, I hooked up with her, or rather she was making a move on me and I made the mistake of not questioning her motives. I'm not sure about the timeline exactly, but I know it was at least a week, or two after the slashed tires. Long story short, she was only interested in getting back at her ex, by hooking up with someone she knew he wouldn't approve of."

"She linked to some rather suggestive pictures of Eddie and herself on her twitter account," Emmett added as explanation.

"Photos she took and uploaded without my approval, or knowledge, I might add," Edward said with a grim face.

"Anyway, her stunt backfired, because somehow, Sam managed to twist it around, so that everyone now believes Leah had been messing around with Edward for months … and that it was a broken heart that drove Sam into the arms of sweet, innocent cousin Emily," Emmett continued.

"But that's bullshit. Why would anyone believe such a thing?" Bella asked, eying Edward cautiously, searching for any sign, revealing how he really felt.

"Because they are not using their own brains and asking enough questions - or even questioning anything at all. Now, our Eddie here can't set foot on Quileute land. He is 'carne morta' over there," Emmett commented. "That's dead meat, but it sound's way cooler in Italian."

"You see Isabella, this is just one of the many reasons why I hate your friend Black and the other rez boys," Edward stated, looking her straight in the eyes for once.

"Well, this all happened before I even got here and I've only heard your side, so it's kind of hard for me to form a balanced opinion. I'll have a word with Jake about this for sure, I can tell you that much," Bella said meeting his eyes square-on. "However, I still don't see why this should have any influence on who I take to the school dance," she continued. "It's just one night, just one stupid school dance…that I'm sure will be chaperoned anyway, so it's not going to be a date-date or anything like that. "

"I'm with you, Bella. If you want to invite Jake, then go for it," Alice hurried to assure her. "I'm just glad you're actually considering coming with us. It will be fun, I promise."

"I won't be wearing any stupid, neck breaking shoes, just saying… " Bella muttered. "And no fake lashes, hair extensions, or silicone booty pads."

"Silicon what?" Emmett asked with a hearty laugh. "I mean, I know what they are…. but can you get a pair of those in Forks?"

"Internet, Emmett," Alice responded. "You can get anything on the net these days."

Bella suddenly felt Edward kick her shin under the table. At least she thought it was Edward, since from where Emmett sat, he wouldn't be able to reach her and Alice usually never bothered to be that discreet.

He kicked her again, and Bella turned her head looking at him quizzically

He had his car keys in his hand, and he was looking towards the glass door leading out to the parking lot. Did he mean what she thought he meant? Did he want her to follow him outside?

He looked at her, then at the door, then back at her again.

 _Ohhh, this was new…._

"Oh, lookie here comes my Rosie," Emmett suddenly exclaimed and started waving frenetically.

"Annnd that's my cue to leave," Edward declared, grabbing his tray and getting to his feet. "I left my cigarettes in my car. I'm gonna go outside and smoke before the bell rings."

"Yeah, I better get going too," Bella said, "I'm need to… "She searched her mind trying to think of something to say that wouldn't result in a million questions. "…stop by nurse Coop for tampons," she finished in panic, feeling her neck heat up in embarrassment.

Smooth, Swan! Real smooth…. She half expected Alice jump to her feet and offer to tag along, or Emmett to embarrass her further with some stupid joke. But thankfully, none of that happened and she managed to leave with minimum fuss.

 _._

 _…_

.


	55. Chapter 55

_…_

.

*-=[The Past - Isabella Swan, 17 y.o]=-*

*55*

.

*Edward's POV *

.

The whole sitting-through-a-formal-police-questioning-thingy hadn't been too bad. Edward was relieved afterwards. Not that he'd been too nervous about it beforehand. But oh well, it was nice to have it over with.

It actually helped that the whole thing had been handled by the same two officers that had interviewed him at school after Bella's initial collapse; Fuller and Burns.

He knew the former was from the DEA, which seemed to indicate they were still looking for some kind of drug connection there. Weird…

Oh and it also helped that Chief Swan had showed the good taste of staying away….

Anyway, the questioning started out similar to how Edward remembered it from the last time, with light small talk and seemingly innocent questions. Then came the curve-balls - the questions meant to trick him to reveal more than he'd planned.

Ha. Not falling for that one again... mostly because he had a truly ace lawyer on his side this time, who didn't hesitate to intervene when the situation called for it.

Mr. Whitlock, did in fact object several times when he though the questions were getting speculative. For example, seeing as the result of the paternity test wasn't back yet, he wouldn't allow them to pressure Edward on how felt about Bella ending up nearly dying because of him. Peter Whitlock curbed that particular line of questioning real fast. The same went for pretty much anything that in anyway touched the subject of Bella's pregnancy and the fate of her babies…

Edward did, however, admit to having slept with Bella Swan on multiple occasions. That was, after all, the sole reason he'd come forward to begin with.

He also admitted that he'd been quite intoxicated the night of the party, another thing his lawyer had advised him to be upfront about from the beginning. Those two admissions were all part of the strategy they'd set up beforehand.

The conversation went something like this: "No, sir. I did not lie the last time we spoke. You asked if I had any romantic interest in Ms. Swan and if I had ever dated her. I answered both of those questions with a 'no', because that's the honest truth. We never dated and we were never in a romantic relationship. It was just sex. Nothing more, nothing less."

When asked how long this 'non-romantic-just-for-sex-relationship' had been going on and why he didn't come forward with this information sooner, he had simply shrugged. "It went on for awhile, but ended months ago. I honestly didn't think Swans situation had anything to do with me."

When his father berated him for being so flippant about it, he was forced to rephrase his answer, providing the two officers with a few more details (all of which were pre-approved by Mr. Whitlock).

"First time we had sex was right after New Year's, before the school started up again... I remember that we talked about how the winter break had been so far and I teased her because she was VERY eager to go back to school again. She was bored and wanted company… and sex, it turned out. She initiated it, but obviously, I allowed it to happen. Anyways, I slept with her several times over a period of maybe four or five months, or something in that range."

"Why did it end? Did Ms. Swan dump you?" Officer Fuller, asked, pushing for more information.

"No. She injured her leg in… like April, and her cast and crutches were a total drag. They rendered her pretty much immobile and things just kind of fizzled out after that."

"I heard she went back to her ex," Officer Burns, cut in."The guy you were telling us to look for Jacob Black."

"I wouldn't call him her 'ex', but essentially, yes… I've always had this suspicion that she had something going on with him. She always denied it, but after things ended between us she went straight to him and they made their relationship official real fast... so I kind of figured I'd been right all along and that they'd been going at it behind my back. "

"So when you found out Ms. Swan was pregnant, you immediately thought, 'not my problem' and just shrugged it off… or? What happened? What went through your head? Talk us through it."

"I didn't know she was pregnant. I never even suspected it… I found out when everyone else did. And even then, _I really, truly thought Black was the one that had gotten her knocked her up. I was floored when I found_ out that wasn't the case."

"Why?"

"I'm a very careful, responsible guy and I always, ALWAYS use protection."

Of course, that answer prompted another lecture about how contraceptives, althoughhighly effective, are not 100 percent infallible.

 _Gee, this is brand new information…NOT._

From there they went on to press him about the timing of things; why he had chosen to come forward now of all times.

Edward had been advised not to let on that he knew Bella's phone had been found, so he'd answered the question by saying that he'd heard from someone close to the Swans that Black's DNA test had come back negative and that this news had him freaking out a bit. He then admitted he'd turned to his father for advice.

Carlisle was quick to confirm this, explaining that he'd come home from work to find a shocked and distraught Edward waiting for him. Carlisle had, of course, prompted Edward to speak with the police immediately (but not without calling his layer first….).

When Officer Fuller asked Edward if this was correct, he'd shrugged and said, "It was the right thing to do and I wanted to do what was right."

"What you think is right? Or what your father think is right? Basically what you're saying is that if your father hadn't insisted, you probably wouldn't have come to us with this information?"

This was where Peter Whitlock had, once more, stepped in to stop the probe, reminding them that "my client is a teenager, who has never been in this situation before."

After that came some questions about the by-now-infamous party that Edward and his siblings had put together. Of course, the two police officers wanted to know, if Edward had interacted with Bella at all on the night of the party. He'd answered, that yes, he could recall running into her on two different occasions. He started telling them about the first one, which had occurred pretty early in the evening.

This was where he had admitted that he'd gotten quite drunk, quite fast… It would have come out sooner or later anyway, considering how many people had been attending the party.

"She told me she wasn't feeling well and I basically answered that her well-being wasn't my effing problem and that she should go find one of her friends or call her boyfriend. Before you ask, no, those weren't my exact words, but I'm sure you get the idea how that conversation went down."

"Was there anyone else around to hear this exchange?"

"I don't know. I'm sure people saw us together, but doubt anyone could have heard the actual conversation. The music blasting from the living room was pretty loud."

"And the second time? What happened then?"

"Well, it was a few hours later… I wasn't getting any less drunk as time went on, so for obvious reasons I don't remember much of it. I've been told a few of my friends were trying to convince me it was time for me to hit the bed. They were more or less dragging me away from the house and the party… trying to get me across the lawn and over to my place."

"That was nice of them, looking out for you. So, they were trying to help you get to your bedroom, which is situated above the garage?"

"Yes. Apparently that's when we ran into Bella. I don't remember what exactly was being said, as my processing was slow and barely functioning, but I think she repeated again that she wasn't feeling well... and that's all I remember…. Sorry."

Of course, they immediately asked who these friends he'd mention were and if they could verify what he'd just told them. Now, this was the tricky part, seeing as he didn't want to name neither Stanley, nor Denali, if he didn't absolutely have to (and certainly not without speaking to them first).

See, he knew he should have cornered Tanya and prepped her, so that she knew what to say to the police… Damn Jasper and Leah for distracting him!

In the end, he settled for the slightly less risky option, volunteering the names of the last persons that had seen Swan at the party that night -Rosalie and McKenna. They weren't likely to say anything too damaging…and it would buy him some time.

Whitlock had been frowning at him, because this was not part of the plan. Edward didn't care though.

After that, there was only one more detail about the party they'd wanted to know about – an odd detail, in Edward's opinion. They asked where his car had been that night.

"It was locked away in the garage. I wouldn't get behind the wheels while intoxicated. No drunk driving. I don't do that."

"What about earlier in the evening?"

"I stayed around the house all night, I didn't go anywhere. My brother was home, so we took his Jeep into town, to grab some snack items for the party and a quick bite to eat. But that was like around noon."

"And none of your friends had access to your car the night of the party?"

"No…I don't let other people drive my car or even touch it. What's this about?"

Not too surprisingly, they didn't answer that. However, as Officer Burns went on with her next question, it became a little bit clearer where their interest for his car came from.

"Edward, it has come to our knowledge that your car was taken to a professional cleaner earlier this week and we were wondering if there was a particular reason for this?"

"Er," Edward cleared his throat, stalling for time while he thought this one through. "That wasn't my doing-…"

"That's right. That was my idea, I'm afraid," Carlisle spoke up, just like Edward had hoped he would. "You see, my wife and I were not pleased when we came and found out that our children had thrown a party in our home, despite specific instructions not to invite people over. My son is very fond of his Volvo, so we took his car keys away as punishment for breaking out house rules. I wasn't planning on stopping with just that though. I've sort of been hinting to him that I'm thinking of selling the car back the Volvo dealership in Tahoma I originally purchased it from. I wanted to have him believe I was getting the car ready to trade it in for a smaller car - Something more suitable for a teenager that will no longer be getting gas money from his parents."

"I see. So you're saying taking the car to have it cleaned inside and out was simply a warning of sorts to your son?"

"Exactly," Carlisle agreed. "Honestly, we're spoiling the kids these days. My first car was an old beat up Toyota Corolla which I had to pay for myself, by slaving away on the weekends, selling electrical appliances to the masses."

Ha, fucking ha, his father thought he was being SO funny… Edward hoped they wouldn't look too deeply into this explanation, as he knew his father's first car had been a brand spanking new Mercedes, courtesy of Grandpa Cullen-who, at the time, owned the only electrical company in town.

Anyway… it was interesting though (and a bit frightening) how his father could lie this shamelessly without even batting an eye.

"Alright, that explains it then," Officer Fuller agreed, closing his notepad. "Now Edward, I assume you know we preformed a search over at your house this morning? Your lawyer has explained to you how that all works, I hope?"

"Yes, there was a search warrant issued and we consented to have our home searched," Edward nodded, suppressing a shudder. "I believe my laptop was seized and that I shouldn't expect to get it back anytime soon, correct?"

Officer Fuller nodded. "A forensic examination of the laptop will be conducted and yes, that could take a while."

Thankfully, the laptop was the only thing out of Edward's personal belongings that the police had taken with them after finishing the search. He was fine with that… or mostly fine with, it anyway. Honestly, he didn't have anything on his hard drive that could possibly get him in too much trouble. Sure, they would probably find some illegally downloaded stuff on there… and a folder or two with content from internet sites of the x-rated variety. He WAS a teenage boy after all. But all in all, he wasn't too worried…. He was just glad they hadn't taken his phone yet.

Apart from the laptop, the police had also seized a bath rug from the bottom floor bathroom, with some unidentifiable brownish stains (possibly blood) on it. They had also torn a piece of wallpaper off the wall in the living room for the very same reason.

Edward couldn't say he was too surprised. Frankly, if you have 20 something drunken teenagers partying in your home over the weekend, then it's not all that strange to come home and find a few spots and stains in funny places afterwards. He didn't expect anything to come out of this. Even if it was blood –he assumed it was Bella's blood they were looking for- then so what? She'd come and gone through the house several times the last few days leading up to her collapse… it didn't really prove anything.

According to Carlisle the search had gone well. Nothing particularly interesting or damning had turned up. Both his parents had stayed home to witness the ordeal. Edward could tell his mother had gone through to great lengths, trying to erase all traces of the police invasion in their home. He'd gotten home to a bedroom that had looked just as clean and pristine as he normally kept appreciated the gesture, he really did. However, the mere thought that someone had looked inside his wardrobe, touched the underwear in his drawers, the sheets in his bed, the toothbrush in the bathroom, had him feeling like he was an exhibit at the zoo. He fucking hated that feeling - which of course was one of the reasons his father had been so adamant about sending him off to school for the day to begin with.

 _His parents though they knew him so well…_

Edward realized he had zoned out a bit while the others kept talking. He tuned back in and tried to pick up the thread of the conversation.

"…we want to give it another try in drier and less windy conditions. We're just being thorough."

 _Give what another try?_

It took Edward a while to figure out that they were talking about bringing back the police dogs for another 'sniff' around?

His father asked something about the search warrant and whether they could actually conduct successive searches based on the same search warrant.

"Don't worry, Dr. Cullen, our focus is still on the forest around the premises. We won't go into your garden unless the dogs strongly indicate it will lead to something, in which case we'll be mindful of the plants and flowers."

"That's not what I asked."

"We have the papers in order. However, even without the paperwork, there is still the 'open field doctrine' which basically gives us the right to perform a warrantless search on your land."

Of course, the lawyer had some objections to that and they argued back and forth a bit what the 'open field doctrine' actually entailed and whether or not outdoor areas in immediate vicinity of a home like gardens and back yards were constitutionally protected or not.

This all sounded like mumbo jumbo gibberish to Edward, who more or less tuned out again. He was just tired and wanted to go home. He got the impression Whitlock had won the argument though, as the lawyer rose to his feet and declared the meeting over, as if he was the one actually calling the shots.

"Wait, just one more thing before you leave," Officer Burns interrupted turning to Edward. "How do you feel about drug screening? I've got a cup right here, all we need is a urine sample."

 _Ha, f-ing ha! There would be no peeing in no cup!_

Obviously, Edward had refused to do the drug screening.

He didn't even have to say much, because his lawyer had shut down the suggestion rather quickly.

"Not happening. I strongly advice my client against it!"

"I knew you'd say that, Mr. Whitlock. " Officer Burns had replied. "But I'd like to hear what your client has to say. Edward?"

"No drug screening," Edward had said with a shake of his head.

"You heard our lawyer. That's our answer," Carlisle had agreed and then motioned for Edward to get up and leave the room with him and Whitlock.

The two police officers knew better than to push it any further.

Their parting words, however, had been 'we'll be in touch!'. And while it had sounded rather ominous, Edward wasn't too worried.

Actually, he was far more anxious about that blasted DNA tes,t than anything those cops could possibly try and pin on him.

.

…

.


	56. Chapter 56

*-=[The Past - Isabella Swan, 17 y.o]=-*

*56*

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*Bella's POV *

.

 _AN:/This takes place after Alice has spilled the beans to Bella on the whole Leah (and Edward) situation_ _… And after Bella hints that she might take Jake as her date to the school dance_ _… So cue insecure Bella and jealous Ed in other words…._

 _._

Previously…

 _"Yeah, I better get going too," Bella said, "I'm need to… "She searched her mind trying to think of something to say that wouldn't result in a million questions. "…stop by nurse Coop for tampons," she finished in panic, feeling her neck heat up in embarrassment._

 _._

Five minutes later, after a quick detour by Shelly Coop's office (in case she was being watched), Bella sprinted down the stone steps towards the parking lot.

The light drizzle that had hung around all day had turned into a heavy downpour while they'd been eating lunch.

She kept her head down as she hurried over to Edward's Volvo and climbed into the passenger seat.

As soon as she got the door closed, he turned the key and started the engine without a word.

"Aren't you going to talk at all?" Bella finally asked when they were approximately 6-7 minutes into the drive.

"Not much to say, is there?" he muttered, without even as much as a glance in her direction.

Another turn and they were on some lonely, deserted gravel roadthat seemed to lead nowhere.

She could see bushes at each side of the car which reminded her that she didn't know where exactly he was planning on taking her... or why… All she could read from his facial expressions was anger.

Just then, Edward pulled off road and parked the car behind some scrub pine. If it was privacy he was after, he'd succeeded. They were not entirely hidden away, but it seemed unlikely someone else would come along and find them there.

"You don't like the idea of me asking Jake to be my date to that stupid dance, is that it?" Bella asked, unbuckling her seatbelt so that she could swivel in her leather seat and face him.

"You realize what a hypocrite that makes you, don't you?" she added when he didn't reply.

"Why? Because I don't want to date you, just screw your brains out?"

"No, well yes, but not just because of that. You're a hypocrite, because…" she trailed off, trying to find the words. "I feel like you have ex-flings and hook-ups popping up left and right. So far there's been Tanya, Lauren, McKenna and now Leah." She rattled them off on her fingers. "How many girls at school have you been with? Because I thought you said the stories about your many conquests were exaggerated."

Edward looked unamused. "Eh, technically I've never actually been with McKenna. And Lauren?! Please, no guy with an ounce of self respect would touch her nasty ass."

"But you DID sleep with Leah Clearwater when she was fresh out of her relationship with Sam though!"

"So what if I did?! That was before you even moved into town. I haven't so much as looked at another girl in over three months now. You made it very clear that was how you wanted it, that there could be no messing around with other people."

"Just like you've made it very clear this would never turn into a real relationship, that you would never actually date me, which is fine. I'm not looking to renegotiate our agreement. It's just… I hate to break it to you Edward, but you can't eat your cake and have it too. That's not how it works. This cake," she paused to point at herself. "…is not spoken for and can essentially hang out with whomever she deems worthy."

"Okay, I get that. But this thing with the dance… you weren't even planning on going. You just made that shit up on the fly. I don't get why and I'm honestly not sure I even care… The whole think is just stupid. You can drop the act, sweetheart. I'm not buying it."

"Don't sweetheart me! You have no say in who I chose to spend time with," Bella told him firmly. "None what so ever… as long as no sex is involved and that's all there is to it."

Edward looked irritated and ready to protest again, but Bella put a warning finger up to silence him.

"I know what you're going to say. No, I haven't forgotten what he did, which is why I'm not planning on going any real dates with him anytime soon… or ever. "

Edward was shaking his head at her like he thought she'd lost the plot completely.

"We're talking about a chaperoned school dance here… not some steamy night at a club."

"It's your life Bella." Edwards jaw was set, and his expression was stubborn. "You can do whatever you want with it. I'm not gonna stop you from going to parties and stuff, but I don't trust that guy one single bit and if I hear that he-…"

"He has apologized and I know he meant it," she interrupted him. "I'm sure he'll behave. He knows there is only going to be one 'second' chance."

"That's one too many if you ask me," Edward stated darkly.

"I know, that's why I'm not asking you," she quipped back.

He did not appreciate that answer, it seemed. "I thought you were smarter than this," he said, leaning into her seat, until his face was mere inches away from hers. "If you want to go to that stupid dance then go stag or go with your friend Angie… heck, take Newton if you must…. just don't go with HIM."

"Careful Edward, one would almost think you're… gasp…jealous or something. Are you really that worried the cake is gonna slip through your hands?"

"Hardly," he snorted. "And jealous? I don't get jealous. I think you're projecting. I think hearing about me and Leah Clearwater got you feeling a little insecure."

"Did not!" she exclaimed, incredulously.

She had honestly forgotten about that Leah business, until he went and brought it up again…. and now…. now she felt the anger bubble up inside of her again. Did he do that on purpose, just to get her riled up?

"Did too, Cupcake." He smirked at her. "All this cake business goes both ways, but back to the topic at hand. We were talking about Black and his problematic behavior here-…"

"Okay, fine," she interrupted him. "Hearing that you and Leah used to have a thing was quite awkward. I didn't like having something like that sprung on me without warning. I'm not above admitting that." She gathered her anger and pushed Edward in the chest. "Feelings are what separates us thinking, breathing human beings from dead objects. No matter what you say, I know you get jealous and insecure about things too, Edward. I mean, clearly you do, or this whole thing about me taking Jake to the dance wouldn't bother you even half as much as it obviously does. That's a textbook example of jealousy right there!"

"What do I have to be jealous about? I'm the one that get to fuck you. What does HE get? Sunday dinner with you and Charlie every once in a while? I don't want that. And I don't want to take you to some stupid school dance-..."

"Yet, you're getting awfully territorial, Edward! "she interrupted him before he could go on. "Relax, I'm not saying that I think you're jealous in a romantic 'can't-live-without-you' sort of way," she added, jabbing a finger into his chest, again. "I do realize it's probably the Neanderthal in you that makes you act this way-…"

"What way? How am I acting?" he challenged her. "And don't say territorial again, because that is just not true."

"I was going to say like a jerk. Nothing about this non-date date is that big of a deal," she told him, feeling her temper rise to the boil. " Just get over yourself! It's gonna happen whether you like it or not!"

"Damn, you're hot when you're angry, Cupcake," he declared, grabbing a handful of her hair, twisting her face around so that she was looking at him fully. "Something's gonna give here, alright, but it won't be me,"

See, he did this on purpose… he was always picking fights with her, knowing that it more often than not would lead to a hot, angry make out session… that sometimes (okay, almost always) resulted in equally steamy sex.

All of a sudden, the whole atmosphere changed. The car was filled with anticipation and the air was so thick that you could cut it

"Don't think you can-…" she started saying, but didn't get the chance to finish her sentence before his lips were on hers in a quick, forceful kiss.

"…make me change my mind," she moaned. Her hands were gripping his shoulders reflexively.

The full mouth-on-mouth kissing thing was a relatively new step for them. When he kissed her like this, so heatedly, so intensely, she became a breathless, trembling mess. Yes, it was cliché, and it would hopefully pass once the novelty wore off, but as of right then and there, those kisses did her in.

"Wonna bet?" he challenged her. "I'm pretty sure I can."

His lips had moved on to her neck now. His breath was hot against her skin, as he began sucking at the sensitive spot below her ear. "I'll make you forget that looser in a heartbeat…"

"Shut up," she told him, but didn't put up a fight when he pulled her over the center console and into his lap.

"Wouldn't you rather be doing this with me," he murmured, the next time they parted for air. "…than going to some stupid high school dance with HIM?"

He had her there… She didn't want to fight him. She wanted to… get closer to him, to feel his body on hers, to taste him – everywhere. They had only been sleeping together a couple of months, but he already seemed to know exactly what buttons to push to get the responses he wanted. It was so unfair!

Before she had a chance formulate a verbal reply, he was moving again and she could feel those damn sexy lips of his finding their way down her neck and collarbone.

"This is not about me wanting the fucking cake for myself," he growled, pulling the neckline of her top down to expose her bra. "It's about you letting HIM get away with sampling the goods without asking permission first! That's not okay. Not only are you not standing up for yourself, but you are actually putting yourself in danger of a repeat incident. Forget the cake. I wouldn't trust Black around even the tiniest hint of cookie crumbles."

"He did apologiiiize," she moaned, as his hands came up to cup her breasts through the bra.

"I'm sure he did, but if he couldn't keep his dirty paws off these honey buns before, then what makes you think he can now?! Bet he's acquired a taste for them…"

"Excuse me, 'honey buns'?" She snorted as a giggle bubbled from her throat. "You've got a pet name for my breasts now? Watch it… that sounds kind of relationshippy in my ears."

"Fuck, Swan, I was just going with the cake analogy. You know what I meant." He was tugging at her top again, pulling it down even further.

"Hey, stop that!" she warned against his throat. "If you pop a seam and ruin that top, you can forget about seeing my buns up close and personal again. Gimme a sec and I'll take it off myself."

"See, this is what I'm talking about," he nodded, demonstratively taking his hands off of her, waiting for her to undress. "You have no trouble telling me off when I do something wrong. If I break one of your freaking rules, I sure get to hear about it… a lot, but with HIM, it's like you don't have a guts or the confidence, or whatever, to stand up for yourself. I mean, you can't even tell him to stop wasting his time texting you -…"

"Cullen, stop talking! You can't win this one," she snapped, swatting his hands away as he tried to help her pull the once-roomy, but nowadays rather snug fitting, cotton top over her head.

"You sure about that? Cuz this feels like winning to me," he pointed out, easing the bra straps down her shoulders until the garment was hanging limply around her waist."I've got the honey buns all to myself!"

"Ugh… You're so one-track minded. No better than Jake… or Newton," Bella grumbled, squirming under his hot gaze. "Stop objectifying my breasts!"

"You don't really mean that, do you?" he mused, running his thumb back and forth over an extremely sensitive nipple.

She moaned embarrassingly loud. Every nerve ending in her body awake in an instance. He'd barely touched her, but she was so tightly wound that it was almost painful… no scratch that, it WAS painful. Her nipples were sensitive like never before.

"I'm gonna objectify the hell out of your tits and you're gonna love every second of it!" he declared, before his open mouth came down to ghost the top of the swells of her breasts. He knew exactly what she liked the best and never failed to give it to her.

His teeth connected with a nipple and she nearly leaped out of his lap.

"Careful," she whined, wrapping her arms around his neck. "They are still sore since Tuesd-..aaay…."

"You don't say," he teased, as he moved to give her other breast the same attention.

Bella bit her lip to hold back the urge to cry out again as need consumed her. Soon she found herself rocking in his lap, rubbing herself against him, dry humping the rapidly growing bulge in his jeans.

It wasn't long before her entire body was burning with uncontrollable need. Damnit, she was writhing against him like a cat in heat, but she didn't care. She just needed more….more contact, more movement, more sensation… **  
**

Edward was…. cursing and twitching underneath her. His fingers were digging into her hips as if trying to get her to slow down.

"Don't stop now!" she whimpered, not interested in slowing down.

"I wasn't… ahh…. Christ! Just keep still one moment. I don't think you want be to blow my load like this."

"Oh. Oooh! Don't you dare finish without me, you jackass!" she warned in response, as she reluctantly allowed him to scoot her backwards on his lap ever so slightly.

"I wasn't planning on it, but geez you're on fire today, Swan! I don't think I've ever seen you quite this… this eager and willing before."

"I've been so freaking horny and achy all week and it's all your fault."

"Me? What did I do?" The bastard had the audacity to smirk at her.

"Yeah, that's what I'm wondering too. You aren't even all that special. I had like zero sex drive when I first got into town, and now I can't leave the house without carrying extra underwear, because you literally, get me dripping wet the minute you lay your hands on me."

"I'm THAT good, eh?"

"I thought I told you to stop that!" Grabbing his face with a hand on each side of his stubbled cheeks, she tipped his chin up so that she had his full attention. "Less talking, more fucking!"

.

…

.


	57. Chapter 57

***-=[The Past - Isabella Swan, 17 y.o]=-***

 ***56***

 **.**

 ***Bella's POV ***

 _ **AN: this picks up where the last chapter ended.** _

.

"Shit," Bella groaned and sagged against Edward's chest, her face resting against his cologne-fragrant neck.

"Shit, indeed," he returned, his voice sounding hoarse from the exertion. "Could you… move. I need to take care of stuff…."

Bella made a non-committal sound, before settling herself more fully onto his lap.

"Hey, stop! That's not helping," he protested. "Get up!"

"I tried, but my legs gave out …." she muttered, her muscles still clenching around him.

"I mean it, I need to dispose of the condom," he scoffed and cupped her bare buttocks, urging her upwards. "Come on, lift your hips at least... Wouldn't want a latex failure, now would we?"

His words prompted a shiver to course through her body as if she was flushed, but cold at the same time - which perhaps wasn't as strange as it sounded. The ever-present rain seemed to have caused the outside temperature to drop from brisk to downright chilly, but at the same time the inside of the car was still reasonably warm and decidedly more humid now than it had been ten minutes ago, leaving the windows almost entirely fogged up.

Also, she was after all, mostly naked….

Her jeans were in a heap, half on the floor, half on the centre console and her top and panties were missing too… leaving her in nothing but her bra, which was still hooked around her waist.

Edward was nudging her again.

"You're so paranoid," she muttered at him, but managed to ease herself backwards enough so that he could slip a hand down between them. "It's not made out of wax. It's not going to dissolve just because you wait a few minutes."

"Yeah well, I'm not taking any chances."

With one hand firmly securing the condom in place, Edward used his other hand to untangle her limbs from his.

Reluctantly, she moved herself completely off of him, wincing slightly as she went through the motions of maneuvering herself back into the passenger seat.

She missed his body heat, but instantly scolded herself for even allowing her thought to stray in that direction. She knew better than to expect post-sex cuddles from him. He usually didn't even look her in the eyes afterwards. And this time was no exception. He did, however, take the time to inform her that she should hurry up and get dressed, because he had a trig test to get back to.

Then, without giving her another thought, he opened the car door and got out, taking both his clothes and the evidence of their tryst with him (the later so that he could dump it into the woods, she presumed).

He failed to get the door all the way shut and Bella shivered again as cold air swept into the car. She knew she should be getting dressed -there'd be consequences if she skipped anymore classes this month - yet, she couldn't seem to pull herself together.

Edward had been nothing but clear with her from day one. "Don't fall for me," he'd said, eyes dark and cloudy, fingers digging into her hips tugging her forward even as his words pushed her away. "We'll never be each other's happily-ever-after."

And Bella had snorted and made a sharp quip about how conceited Edward was to think she'd be interested in anything but a quick fuck from him.

He had liked that response at the time, liked it enough to allow her to keep coming back for more.

But now.

God, now she wished she'd turned him away as soon she'd started getting those warm, fuzzy feelings for him. It's never a good sign when the sparks of excitement starts turning into strange and foreign butterfly-like tingles… But instead of calling it off, she kept seeing him even though she knew it could only end one way - Edward Cullen was going to break her heart into a thousand tiny pieces.

"I'm FUCKED," she wrote on the fogged-up car window, before slowly wiping the letters away one by one with her hand.

 _No, this wouldn't do! She had to get a grip of herself._

Her hands shook as she fumbled to get her panties off the floor.

 _._

 _…_

 _._

"Dang, it is freaking freezing out there," Edward complained as he, fully clothed, slid into his seat again a few minutes later.

The only visible sign of what had just taken place was the state of his hair. Flattened on one side and sticking up on the other.

"Why aren't you dressed yet?" he asked Bella.

"Well, I'm working on it…" she answered, wriggling in her seat to get her jeans up over her hips.

"Work faster," he ordered, turning the key in the ignition.

Before she had a chance to respond he'd put the car into drive and stepped on the gas pedal hard, causing the car to lurch forward.

Bella just let out a sigh and clutched the 'Oh-shit-handle' above the door as the Volvo took off with screeching tires.

 _Gues_ _s he really meant it when he said he had that trig class to get to…_

As they left the narrow woodland road behind them, Edward took a curve a bit too fast. A combination of high speed and wet asphalt caused the car to swerve from left to right.

Edward, of course, seemed unfazed by the whole thing, recovering control quickly and without much difficulty.

Bella, however, couldn't keep a distressed sound from escaping her lips.

"Geez, what are you shrieking for?" he asked without looking at her. He did, however, ease his foot off the gas pedal, slowing down a bit..

"What are you trying to do?! Kill us?!" she hissed at him, once she got her voice back. "Didn't know you felt this passionately about trig…" she added as she waited for her heart to stop thudding.

"Not my fault you weren't wearing your fucking seatbelt!" he barked, glaring at her out of the corner of his eye. That's when he seemed to realize she was still only half dressed. "And I thought I told you to get your clothes on! What's taking you so long?!"

"Excuse me, I've been kind of busy holding on for dear life, since you decided to drive like a maniac!"

That did it. "I'm sorry, okay. My bad." Pulling the car into a halt, Edward turned to look at her fully. "Now, will you please hurry up and get dressed!"

"Well, since you're asking so nicely…." she grumbled."You don't happen to have a comb in the car, do you?"

"Nah… your hair looks good though."

The change that came over Edward happened in a matter of seconds. One minute he was all gruff, acting as if he couldn't get back to school fast enough, and then the next, he was staring at her with an intense, unreadable look on his face.

Bella honestly thought that this was the moment he was going to realize his mistake. He couldn't be that DENSE right?! Of course he must realize why she found his rather reckless driving somewhat unsettling. .. After all, he was one of the few people that actually knew how her mother had died, one of the few people that knew it had involved a car crash.

She half expected him to apologize again. But nope…. What came out his mouth next was something else entirely.

"Newton was right about one thing. Your tits are really something else."

"What? " She looked at him first with confusion, then irritation. "You've got to be kidding me? Seriously Edward!"

"No. I swear they have grown a cup size since I saw them last."

"You saw them the day before yesterday." She said with a huff, as she fumbled to get the bra back on properly.

"So? I'm telling you, they look bigger," he shrugged, helping her find the last missing part from her outfit – the slightly too form fitting top that had started it all. "Not complaining. It was just an observation."

"Don't get too attached," she warned him. "I'm pretty sure they are just swollen because of… well, hormones. Could be the mother of all periods waiting to strike," she added, hoping it would shut him up.

Last time they'd discussed her periods (or lack of periods, as they were quite irregular) had been one hell of an awkward conversation… for Bella at least. Gawd, that shit just felt far too personal to be shared.

It started innocently enough, with Edward asking; 'how come you haven't gotten your period in all the time I've known you?'

She'd tried to joke it off by saying, "Because, I was born a hermaphrodite with a penis AND vagina but no balls... oh and nice breasts."

She got why he was asking, she really did. She knew he was a control freak on many, MANY levels. Still, she'd hoped he wouldn't notice or think to ask about this. Not his soon into their arrangement anyway. They had only just started being intimate, like it hadn't even been two full months of them sleeping together yet.

Edward's response had been to roll his eyes at her joke and then asked where that penis went, because he sure as hell hadn't seen it. She'd thought the topic of her menstrual cycles was forgotten but nope, a few minutes later, he'd brought it up again.

"Come on Swan, you never answered me. I know you can use the pill to have like fewer periods, or none at all… But you specifically said you weren't on the pill, so…? I mean, what's up with that?"

"That's private, and I'm not going to talk about it. Some bodily function things you just don't have control over. But relax I'm not 'late', as in pregnant or anything like that," she'd answered him.

"Good to know. But honestly that's not really why I was asking. I was just wondering if there was some hormonal issue I should know about. Is this a PMS thing? Because I swear it's like you've been cranky for the last week."

"Gawd, that's such a sexist thing to say! A girl can be cranky, or bitchy, or whatever, without it having anything to do with her period."

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that! Don't put words-…"

"Just so we're clear I'm NOT PMSing. I'm just… you could say I'm in a funk of sorts, alright. I never asked to come here; my life got flipped, turned upside down … I just have days when I hate everyone and everything. And if I've been cranky around you, it's because your 'asshole-ness' annoy me."

"That's not even a word," he'd pointed out, sounding almost amused. _Amused?!_

"You think this is funny?" She'd asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "I'll tell you what's not funny –not being able to sleep or eat properly for months and months, because of grief, shock and emotional trauma. Now that's not funny!"

She hadn't meant to reveal THAT much about herself, but he'd really gone and pissed her off.

"Your laughing now, but trust me you wouldn't be laughing after a year of stress-induced turmoil wreaking havoc on your body."

"I wasn't laughing!"

"You asked about my periods. Well, the answer is my body is so screwed up I don't even get periods anymore... I think I had three in total this last year… "

Now, Bella didn't actually KNOW the real reason why her menstrual cycles were irregular, but she'd googled it and Dr. Google's diagnoses were usually – if not right – then at least plausible…. It wasn't all that strange if her body had decided to simply shut down as a result of all the shit that had gone down in her life. Just the weight loss alone was supposedly enough to cause those kinds of issues. And her weight had dipped dangerously low there for a while following the emotional trauma she'd gone through after her mother's passing.

Thankfully, Edward didn't question any of this. There was nothing to question - he had obviously seen the shape she'd been in at the beginning of the school year. So instead, he'd had ended up making a lame, half-assed apology, before dropping the subject completely, just like she'd hoped he would.

While Edward could hardly be described as a particularly empathic guy, he never seemed all that fazed learning about her eccentricities and sad, pathetic past… She'd reveal something fucked up about her life and he'd nod and say something idiotic yet understanding and then move on to talk about something else. It was one of his most appealing qualities actually.

Honestly, this particular abnormality probably had him cheering on the inside. She was sure it pleased his paranoid side to learn that the girl he was sleeping with wasn't ovulating nearly as often as a girl her age should. Silly boy! The risk of her getting pregnant was almost nill anyway, seeing as he was very peculiar about staying safe and always using condoms… If you looked up paranoia in an ol' fashioned dictionary you'd find Edward's picture there. The way he went about checking the condoms for leaks after usage went beyond the scope of his normal OCD tics. Clearly there would be no latex failures or oops babies on his watch!

Almost three weeks had passed since that first awkward conversation about her menstrual cycles had taken place. At the time she'd nearly chewed Edward's head off for insinuating she was PMSing. Ironically though, it was beginning to look like he might actually be on to something there. Fast forward three weeks and Bella was still walking around feeling incredibly irritable, and even more on edge than usual (not to mention horny all the damn time, which was an odd combination…).

Of course, Bella should have known this was bound to happen - with her luck it was only natural she'd be stuck with the longest PMS cycle in history. Her last period had been an ultra light one in December after nearly six months of 'no-shows'. Easy to remember because it had been right before her birthday, but also, incidentally, just a few weeks before she'd ended up in bed with Cullen. The period before that had been like three months overdue and lasting a whooping 15 days. So yeah, she just knew this next one would be a bad one (whenever it decided to show). But so far… no sign of when this cursed thing would actually strike. Well, no signs, except swollen, tender breasts… and the occasional mild bloat or cramp. Yay!

Naturally, she wanted things to go back to 'normal'. She knew birth control pills were one way to regulate her cycles. However, submitting herself to a gynecological exam was NOT something she was thrilled about ! She'd done that once and it had not been a pleasant experience!

Also, could you even get prescription without parental consent up here in Washington? Because no way in hell was she gonna discuss this with her father. Maybe she could ask Alice….No, not Alice that would be weird. Maybe Rosalie would know… Yeah, Rosalie was a better option.

Bella looked over at Edward in the driver's seat and realized he was still talking.

"….not that there was anything wrong with how you looked before," he said, still going on about her breasts apparently, because he was making a gesture like weighing two options at chest level. "…but right now they really, truly are-…"

"Glorious, spectacular, fucking delicious… " she interrupted him. "Any other superlatives you want to add? Or can we move on from this subject and talk about something else?"

"Those are not superlatives," he corrected with a smirk. "If I was using superlatives I would say they are THE MOST glorious, spectacular, delicious pair of tits I've ever had the pleasure of fondling. "

"What-the-fuck ever! No more talking about my breasts, alright?!" Bella declared with a frustrated sigh, only just then realizing that she was still sitting there bare-chested before him.

"Fine, "Edward agreed with a roll of his eyes. "In the future I'll refrain from complimenting you too excessively on your physical appearance. Is that better?

"Much better." With a mild bit of difficulty, she slid her top back down over her naked torso and made sure it tucked into her jeans. Then, she turned away from him to get the seatbelt, letting him know she was done with this entire conversation.

"I'll even throw in a compliment about your intellectual abilities every once in a while, but in return you're gonna do the smart thing and drop this whole 'taking Jacob f-ing Black to the dance' thing."

"Not this again," Bella groaned. "You're the intelligent one here, so use that intelligence, Edward. I need you to back off and let me take my friend Jake to whatever silly school function, I see fitting. I need you trust that I know what I'm doing. Do you understand me?"

"I trust you, it's HIM that I don't trust!"

"Listen Edward, and listen carefully," she told him. "This stupid school dance is a golden opportunity to patch things up with Jake. The more I think about it the better I like this idea. I need Jake, we need Jake… Don't you see? One of these days Charlie is gonna decide he doesn't like that I spend so much time over at your house. He already thinks I need more friends…other friends. He often says he'd like it if I made more friends like Angela Weber. Ironically, he thinks Leah is excellent friend material as well… and of course, Jake. He's asked several times why I don't spend as much time over at Jake's place anymore."

"What are you talking about? Your dad doesn't have anything against Alice… and he loves my mom, for sure… heck, he even seems to have warmed up to Rosalie, despite that ice cold personality of hers. Why would that change? Is this about my latest speeding ticket outside the elementary school? Because that's just silly. Everyone drives too fast there. It's fucking downhill."

"Well, apart from your many speeding tickets, he's also busted both you and Em for underage drinking a couple of times, and I don't think it's any secret that your parents look the other way when it comes to your self-medicating, weed smoking habits."

"Yeah… so? Like you said that's hardly new information. He's known this all along."

"True. The game changer here is that I think Jakes and his dad might have had a word with Charlie about rumors and stuff."

"Rumors? What rumors?" Edward eyes narrowed and his voice grew hard. "Isabella, what have you done? Have you told Black about us? We agreed not to tell ANYONE!"

"No, I haven't said a word. I swear…. but I think Jake must have seen us together… or something. I don't know when or how he found out, he just somehow figured it out!"

"Shit!" Edward hit the steering wheel with such force; it had Bella jumping in her seat next to him.

"Don't you see? I need Jake on my side. I need to keep things friendly with him… now more than ever. The last thing I need is for him to try and sabotage my life, because he feels betrayed, or something."

"This is beginning to sound a whole lot like extortion!"

"No, he isn't like that," Bella protested. "It's not like that. That's not what I meant. I'm just hoping that by patching things up with Jake now, I will avoid issues with him further down the line."

"You just said you think he's been manipulating your dad. Doesn't that fact alone prove that he is exactly like THAT?" Edward shot back. "I feel like I'm hitting my head against a brick wall here."

"Whatever… I'm not gonna change my mind and that's final," she declared, stubbornly. "Now, get us back to school, or I swear to God, I will never go anywhere with you ag-…"

"Save your breath," he interrupted her. "We both know you'd be back knocking on my door within days, begging to be back in my good graces. Don't even try and deny it, you know I'm right."

He had her there. He WAS right. She would have trouble staying away from him and it wasn't even about his seemingly endless supply of fab weed anymore….

"Just shut up and drive!" she muttered. "We're not going to settle anything like this anyway."

"There's nothing to settle, Cupcake. It's my way or the highway! What's it gonna be?"

.

…

.

Bella never got a chance to decide one way or the other. You could say fate intervened, changing the course of her afternoon in a quite dramatic way. Because that was the same day Tyler Crowley caused a bit of a tumult when he lost control over his van, out on the student parking lot after the last class of the afternoon- an incident that resulted in Bella getting her foot run over by a 3500 pound vehicle.

She'd been lucky. It could have ended a lot worse. She could very well have been hit straight on by that van and cracked her skull open or broken her neck or something. Now, all that was injured was that one unfortunate foot… all thanks to Jasper and Edward, who by pure coincidence, had been walking a few steps behind her and Angela when the accident happened. It irked her to no end that it had been Edward who'd grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Jasper had been the one reacting first shouting out a warning to them, but it was Edward who had saved her life. No doubt, he would try and hold that over her head every chance he got.

Anyway... after her brush with Taylor's death van from hell, a not so pleasant, 11-hour long waiting game down at the E.R. followed. Because apparently, that's how long it generally takes to get an x-ray and a doctor's opinion on a typical Tuesday afternoon in Forks… In the end she was given a full (toe to thigh) cast and was told she could expect a minimum of seven (yes, SEVEN!) weeks on crutches.

No dancing at Spring Fling for Bella, that year…

Even walking was a challenge for the next two months to come.

…..


	58. Chapter 58

Edward watched his father and Peter Whitlock as they first shock hands and then started exchanging small talk right outside the police station. He had no idea what they could possibly have left to talk about… but whatever...

Edward was already seated in the passenger seat in his father's car so he used this short respite to gather himself, and to bring out his phone.

He scrolled through the usual plethora of texts messages and emails, deleting most of them without even reading them.

Alice had written him a few lines, basically letting him know she was planning on heading over to Chief Swan's house Saturday morning. Her excuse for going over there was apparently that she had some clothes and stuff that belonged to Bella, that she wanted to return in case her friend needed them.

Because heavens forbid Bella didn't have her favorite sweater or her own makeup case with her at the hospital, now that she had woken up and was feeling a bit better.

Alice even mentioned she had their mother's blessing. In fact, Esme had offered to drive her there, hoping for a chance to exchange a few words with Charlie Swan in person.

Edward took all this to mean his sister still hadn't give up on finding the clothes he'd asked her to look for and that she was now aiming to expand her search over at Bella's place. While Alice was certainly good at snooping out things, she would have to get past Chief Swan first and he was most likely not that easily duped. Edward couldn't quite decide whether he thought his sister's way of going about this (involving their mother etc…) was a brilliant move, or not. Either way, he certainly wasn't going to get into it with her over the phone.

Another text in the list of unread messages caught his attention. He recognized the number as Leah Clearwater's.

The message read; "I'm off at 9. Will I see you before then?"

Right…Leah wanted a word with him. He had almost forgotten he'd promised to stop by their 'usual' hangout spot... which just so happened to also be her workplace.

Edward was about to type out a response, when his father opened the door and slid into that driver's seat.

"Ready to go home, son?"

"I was ready ten minutes ago. You're the one dragging your feet."

"Always so impatient…" His father sighed, starting the car. "Speaking of feet… I'd strongly advise you to take yours off my dashboard," he instructed as he started reversing the car out of the parking space. "And don't forget to fasten your seatbelt."

"Treat me like a child, why don't you…" Edward grumbled, but then proceeded to reposition his legs to the floor as he'd been told.

"I foolishly live in hope that one day you will realize your own potential and start acting like a grown up," his father responded.

"Like you are such a role model!" Edward huffed, mostly to himself.

His father didn't say anything to that, but his face looked unusually solemn.

Edward finally pressed send on his phone, letting Leah know he would be there in five minutes.

The thing was, Leah worked evenings at Mallory's gas station, which they would drive past real soon on their way home.

Edward would have to do some quick thinking here though, because simply asking for permission to make a quick stop, so that he could step out and have a brief chat with a friend, simply wouldn't do… His father would not allow it…. not without asking a million questions first anyway.

"Dad, I got a favor to ask," he said, deciding to test the waters a bit to determine how best proceed.

"I'm not sure if you're in a position to ask favors," his father replied, like Edward pretty much had predicted he would.

"It's not for me," Edward shot back, then adding, "Or… actually I have two favors to ask… and the first one will only benefit me indirectly."

"I'm not promising anything, but okay… let's hear it," his father said after throwing him a quick glance in the review mirror.

"Can you find out if Bella has a lawyer yet? A decent lawyer, I mean..."

"Uhm, I'm sure she has, son. Charlie knows what he's doing."

Edward had to bite his tongue not to snort at that.

Uh no. You'd think so, but Charlie Swan was a cheap bastard, who would probably be tempted to skimp on lawyer costs.

As reassuring as it had felt for Edward to have someone of Peter Whitlock caliber by his side during the police questioning, it also served as a reminded that Bella would most likely never have that kind of support…. unless, of course, someone stepped in and helped her.

"Just check for me, will you?" he insisted. "And Dad, if she doesn't have a lawyer yet, or if the one she's got isn't up to par…. then please, use whatever contacts you have to get her another one. I don't know what sort of money we're talking about here, but if needed, you can go ahead and take a chunk out of the inheritance grandma left me. I'm okay with that."

"That's very thoughtful and grand of you Edward. See, this is what I've been talking about, taking responsibility for ones actions and holding yourself accountable."

 _Ha, yeah…. think again, dad… think again…_

This was not so much about taking responsibility as it was covering his own ass. Because now that Bella was evidently awake, Edward was eager for her to start talking… she was, after all, his best shot at getting out of this mess relatively unscathed. However, he strongly suspected that Bella, with her skeptical, 'trust no-one' attitude, would cling to the delusion that this whole thing would all go away if she just kept her mouth shut and acted like it never happened. That strategy was just not good enough for Edward though. He didn't want this to turn into some drawn-out ordeal where he'd be dragged through the mud over something he had very little involvement in.

"Before you praise me too much on this… No deeds are ever 100% selfless," Edward pointed out, adding a seemingly nonchalant shrug for effect, before adding, "Swan's probably the only one that can clear my name and the sooner that happens, the better off I'll be, you know…"

He did have a plan with this conversation, after all… one that involved getting on his father's nerves.

"Edward…" Carlisle sighed loudly. Then, without taking the eyes off the road, he said, "Alright son, at least you're being honest. I'll take that as a fall forward."

"Wanna hear another piece of honesty?" Edward asked, ready to go in for the kill. He fully expected this to turn into an argument. In fact, he needed this to turn into an argument… he needed his father to get so fed up with him that he wouldn't try and stop him from leaving the car…

"I'll probably regret this, but sure, go for it," his father agreed.

"Do you really think this holier-than-thou attitude of yours is the best way to push your point across?" Edward asked, turning in his seat to fix his father with an eyes-narrowed glare. "Because you and me both know you've made mistakes too. And I'm not talking about the stupid shit I'm sure you got into as a teenager – no, I'm talking about the mess you made that effectively ruined a big part of mine and Al's childhood."

"Edward, I-..:"

"No, I don't want to hear your excuses. They won't change what happened and I'm not trying to change anything, that's not why I brought it up."

That apparently did it… His father slammed on the brakes and pulled the car to a screeching stop at the side of the road.

"Son, it is never one's fault when a marriage fails, but I definitely could have tried harder, handled things better, and most importantly I should have made sure my children were alright. I know I let your mother down all those years ago and as a consequence of that, you and Alice where hurt too."

"Don't talk to me about consequences," Edward snapped and unfastened his seatbelt.

He'd only brought this up as a quick way to bring his father out of balance, (in the hopes of getting thrown out of the car). But dang, this shit certainly didn't improve his own admittedly already bad mood one single bit, that's for sure…

"I'm getting out of the car now and you're not going stop me," he pressed on, managing to sound royally pissed off without raising his voice. "Instead, you're gonna drive home and deal with mom. That was the second favor I was going to ask, because I really don't need to be psychoanalyzed by my own mother right now. You know that's what she'll try and do and if I tell her off, it will turn into some massive cry fest. I can't deal with that right now, I just can't!"

He threw the car door open and stepped out into the chilly night air.

"Edward Anthony Cullen, if you think you can just walk off and I'm gonna let you... your sadly mistaken. Do I have to remind you that you're in legal trouble and shouldn't be seen roaming the streets alone at night-.."

Edward slammed the door shut before his father could finish the sentence.

Pulling his hoodie up over his head, he turned on his heels and started walking towards the Mallory's gas station.

.

…

.

It was a relatively short walk... too short to shake off his father it seemed.

Edward turned his head to look over his shoulder and saw the familiar car following him slowly. He sped up his walk and heard the car do the same.

Oh, great! Some people just won't take a GODDAMN HINT! Edward threw up his middle finger over his shoulder, to which Carlisle, of course, responded by obnoxiously honking the car horn.

He realized by now that his father would, no doubt, follow him all the way to Mallory's. He had a choice to make; he could call things off with Leah, or he could go ahead with it and let his father see who he was meeting with.

He decided on the second option.

After all, he was pretty sure he was still allowed to have friends, even female ones… and the fact that it was a girl he was about to meet up with, could even work in his favor.

He walked past the gas pumps and the small convenience store and then rounded the corner of the building, heading straight to where he knew Leah had her designated smoking spot.

He saw her, before she saw him. Her face was illuminated by the almost blinding exterior neon signs that had even the back of the building bathing in light at night.

"Slacking on the job again, I see?" he broke the silence, watching her jump at the sudden sound of his voice.

"It isn't nice to sneak up on people like that," she responded, placing a hand on her chest as if she'd been genuinely startled by his arrival.

"How can you be surprised to see me?! I texted you that I was on my way, you not even five minutes ago."

"Like that means anything. You've changed your mind before on short notice."

"Well, here I am. I have to warn you, I'm not staying long, so can we-.."

"Sssh!" she interrupted him, holding her hand up. "I think I've got an incoming customer," she added, as she craned her neck to try and detect the car that could clearly be heard approaching.

"Yeah, about that….." Edward said, clearing his throat. "My dad kind of followed me here."

"What? Why?" she asked a bit perplexed.

"You could say this stuff with Swan has gotten me into a heap of shit with my parents. "

"Oh. Let me guess, they are not please you've made them grandparents at such a young age."

"Ha f-ing ha. The test result isn't even back yet. Not that it matters. I already know I'm not the father… there is just no way!"

"Ooookay, if you say so."

"Anyway… my dad probably thinks I'm back here making a drug deal or something shady like that." Edward explained with a shake of his head. "I don't think he'll step out of the car, but would you mind doing me a favor?" he asked, motioning that he wanted them to move so that they would become visible from where his father had just parked his car.

"If he sees who I'm meeting with, he'll probably give me some leeway, you being a girl and all …"

Raising one eyebrow, Leah replied, "Because Dr, Cullen has never heard of female drug dealers?"

"It's ridiculous I know, but yep, in his world they don't exist." Edward rolled his eyes. "Haven't you heard… girls are delicate creatures that need to be looked after and sheltered?"

"Whatever," she laughed, but took one last drag on her cigarette before grinding it out on the asphalt. Then, she resolutely stepped a few feet forward until she could wave in the direction of the parking lot.

She even went as far as pulling her sleeve up pointing at her watch followed by holding up five fingers.

"It's your fault if we get another complaint about poor service and lack of customer-focus over this," she told Edward, before grabbing a hold of his jacked and pulled him into an awkward embrace.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" Edward objected, abruptly pushing her away before she would get too close.

"What? If you're not back here buying drugs, then you're obviously here to make out with the hot chick manning this fine establishment," she shrugged, her lips twitching. "Gotta make it look believable, don't we?"

"Not funny! And you're not helping, so just stop it!" he told her, with an annoyed huff. "I'm not kidding here. I'm trying to avoid being sent off to some stupid correction center for sexual misconduct, or addiction, or behavioral problems…. or whatever."

"Not so cocky now!" Leah teased him with smug look on her face. "I'm sorry, it was just too funny to pass up!"

"Okay, you've had your fun. Now, cut to the chase. You said you had something you wanted to tell me. You've got ten seconds before I walk away."

"Yeah, okay… but first you should know I've very recently been to one of those places you just mentioned. You know, where parents send their out-of-hand teens. I can tell you it wasn't nearly as bad as you'd think. Sure, I wouldn't want to go back there anytime soon, but I did learn some valuable things about myself." 

"What are you even talking about?! What place? And when?"

"Aww, now you wound me, Eddie. You didn't notice I was gone all summer?! Rehab. Mom, sent me to rehab."

"Oh…." This did come as a surprise to him. "No. Honestly I had no idea. So… you're like off Adderall completely now?"

"Still work in progress, obviously, but yes, no more Adderall for me."

"So what happened? Your mom found out, I take it?"

"Yeah, she gave an ultimatum: get clean or get out." 

"And it worked, just like that?" 

"Nah…but she sat me down and told me some stuff about… well, about my dad and how he died. Turns out it wasn't the boozing that killed him. Turns out he was fiddling with prescription drugs on the side and his heart couldn't handle it all."

"So you decided you didn't want to end up like the old man?"

"Something like that. Mom found this in-patient clinic in Seattle with a summer program for teens with substance abuse issues. Like I said is a work in progress and I've been attending weekly meetings in Port Angeles ever since I got back. You know what; you should tag along sometime… It won't fix the mess you've gotten yourself in, but I bet it would get your parent off your back for a bit."

"No, thank you!" he said with a sharp laugh. "But congratulation, I guess. So…is this conversation part of some 12-step program. You need my forgiveness, or something?"

"Yeah, that's exactly it," she deadpanned. Then she cocked her head to the side, adding, "Is it working? Or do I need to drop to my knees and show you just how deeply and genuinely sorry I am?"

"What the fu -… Oh, you were making fun of me again, weren't you?"

Leah snickered. "Ya think?"

"Very funny…okay, let's try this again. You had something you wanted to tell me? You mentioned patterns, or cycles, or some vague shit like that…"

"Yes, thank you for reminding me," she said, her smile vanished as a somber look came across her face. "So…I guess you could say this all started the night Forks high's very own Royce King roughened up his cheerleader girlfriend a bit too carelessly, so much so that she ended up in the emergency room. Now, I could be wrong but I believe he'd been smacking her around many times before then, but never to the point where she needed stitches. Turns out that was the last straw that broke the camel's back."

"Wait! What does Rosalie Hale have to do with anything?"Edward interrupted her.

Ignoring his question, she continued on as if he hadn't spoken. "The façade was crumbling. The girlfriend finally found the guts to turn her back on that jerk and leave that whole abusive relationship behind her. Looking back at it now, it certainly looks like Rosalie had some outside help. You know, someone willing to protect her and hold her hand through it all. Wouldn't you agree? Someone strong and big and popular enough to pull it off without having to worry too much about the ramifications…. "

"What? Why are you dragging my brother into this?"

"Like I said this is only the beginning… Some pretty weird shit happened just a few short days after Rosalie's trip to the emergency room. You remember?"

"The drug bust that got Royce King put away, you mean?"

"Despite being beaten black and blue, Rosalie Hale refused to go press charges against King… but what do you know, within a week the police got an anonymous tip about drugs trafficking at Forks high and a whole bunch of people got suspended and or arrested just like that," Leah said, snapping her fingers.

"Well, I get how it looks, but I can tell you neither Rosalie, nor Emmett was particularly happy about how that all played out."

"No, I know that. Rosalie had no part in it. I have it on good authority that it was actually your sister that staged the whole thing. She took down Royce more or less on her own. Pretty brave of her..." 

' _Brave? No_ **,** _suicidal was more_ _like it,'_ Edward groaned inwardly.

"Uh… Sorry, but who have you been talking to who has given you all this misleading information?" was what he asked Leah, instead. "I mean, what would make you think Alice has the nerve and skills needed to pull off something of that magnitude?"

"I don't just think it was her, I KNOW it was her. Have you forgotten who I was dating at the time, huh?"

 _Right, Sam Uley, of course… back in the day, Leah had been soaking up every word that guy uttered…._

"Anyway… HOW I know this, isn't really all that important. Let me ask you this instead, who do you think Alice approached to get her hands on the stuff she planted in Royce's locker?"

"I wouldn't know the first thing about this," Edward stated saying but was interrupted by an impatient sigh from Leah.

"Come on! With your intellect, you shouldn't be able to make a qualified guess, at least!"

"A hypothetical guess…. Is that what you want?" Edward asked and she nodded, her hair bouncing.

"Alright, based on what I know about the different cliques at school… my guess would be that whoever did it, must have gone through one of those lucky few that wasn't busted when the police did their raid. In other words, James Hunter, your Sam, or the Tanner brothers-…"

"Hey, don't call him that," she snapped, her chin jutting high. Determined to set him straight, she added, "He hasn't been 'my' Sam for ages. Thank God I dodged that bullet."

Edward figured she was probably referring the fact that Sam had turned out to be a lot like Royce… and that his current girlfriend, Leah cousin Emily, was occasionally spotted with bruises and scrapes.

"Okay sorry, but you're the one that brought him up to begin with. Nothing you've said so far has made any kind of sense and-… "

"But it will, if you shut up and listen." Leah interrupted him again. Let's drop the act; you and I both know it was Alice that contacted the police, anonymously of course, and that she went through James to get what she needed to set up her trap."

"Okay, fine… Let's assume it was Alice and let's assume she went through James to stock up. Where are you going with all this?"

"Let's assume Alice could have warned James what she was up to, but she chose not to. Let's assume James got suspicious and decided to have her followed… Finally, let's assume James figured it all out and had just enough time to warn Sam and the Tanner brothers. He tried to warn Royce too, but his phone was off."

"That's a lot of assumptions," Edward pointed out. Most of them sort of made sense though. He had to admit he was curious now. "But alright. Then what?" 

"Then came the big drug bust at school and a lot of people got caught with illegal or restricted substances in their possession… We're talking mostly weed, meth, and prescription pills here, which for most involved parties resulted in detention and a compulsory drug awareness course. That being said though, it wasn't a coincidence that King was the one that got into serious legal trouble. After all, it was him the police had been tipped off about."

"Well, Royce was over 18 and was caught red-handed with both hard drugs and a substantial amount of cash in his locker." Edward shrugged. "Possession with intent to distribute is considered a felony crime and should, in my opinion, carry a more severe punishment than detention"

"I agree. Now, fast forward a few weeks… The dust settles and things go back to normal around school… with one exception; your sister is suddenly on everyone's radar…and not in a good way."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, remember how I told you that I think this is about cycles of betrayals and retributions?" she asked but didn't wait for an answer as she continued on. "With that in mind, I seriously believe James took it upon himself to punish your sister for her 'betrayal'," she said, using air quotes around the last word.

Edward cocked his head to the side, pondering how much of this, if anything, he should take on face value without questioning it further.

"And by punishing, I mean knocking her down quite a few steps on the 'social ladder' around school." Leah continued.

 _And damned if she didn't have a point there._

"It's fairly obvious that he used his girlfriend, 'vicious' Vicky, as a tool to do so. They were very clever about it. Your sister was forced out of cheerleading and the drama club and was pretty much excluded from every other social activity she had ever shown any interest in…"

Edward opened his mouth to add his own thoughts on this, but then closed it again, motioning for her to go on.

"They bullied her until she was walking around school a sad shell of her formal self. All her so called friends dropped her like she had leprosy. Rosalie Hale, was the only exception. You didn't find it odd at all? I mean, it all happened seemingly overnight…." Leah asked, arching one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows at him.

"Honestly, no. It was pretty standard stuff. You girls are always at each other's throats about one thing or another… Whether it's stealing each other's boyfriends, getting caught trash talking the wrong person, or wearing too much makeup, or too skimpy outfits, or whatever … there is always some drama going on..."

"But surely you must have known Vicky was the culprit?"

"Yes, but she goes after every other girl who so much as looks at her boyfriend the wrong way. I just figured Victoria was accusing Alice of flirting with James… or something stupid like that. Anyway, Alice never wanted to talk about it… And getting a straight answer out of Vicky - or James, for that matter - is like __trying to nail a blob of Jell-O to tree."

"James Hunter is one slimy character, that's for sure. There are too many guys like him around this place, guys that manipulate their surroundings to achieve their goals. I hate them all," she said darkly, eyes turning ice cold.

"Did you just figure that out? I could have told you that ages ago." Edward shook his head at her. "Not that you would have listened…. Seeing as you were oh so besotted with the biggest jerk of them all."

She responded by rolling her eyes at him. "Let's just say retribution was had and your sister was efficiently punished. Now, fast forward again, a few months this time, right to the night when I caught my darling boyfriend in a naked embrace with another girl."

"Not just any girl," Edward pointed out when Leah paused to draw a breath.

"You're right, she was my closest friend and but also my cousin. You were not wrong in calling him 'the biggest jerk of them all'."

"Wait a minute!" Edward objected, trying to make sense of the thoughts suddenly popping up in his mind. "If this is about betrayals and retributions, then how does this fit into the pattern?"

"That's the million dollar question You haven't figured I out yet?"

"You were cheated on, betrayed and humiliated and you tried to get your revenge by hooking up with another guy," Edward pointed at himself as he said this. "However, as you tried to brag about it on twitter afterwards it backfired pretty bad and -…"

"Nope, that's not it… " Leah said and held up a hand, making a stop sign. "I mean, you're not wrong about anything you just said, but you're focusing on the wrong person. Let's look at the situation from Sam's perspective… "

"Riiight… Uley always did claim you broke his heart and drove him into the arms of Cousin Emily. That was an obvious after construction though, wasn't it? You never cheated on him, did you?"

"If you ask Sam, he would say I was the one betraying him first, and in the most cold-hearted and callous way possible. And you know what comes after a betrayal? "

"Retribution, revenge, some sort of punishment…" Edward answered, making it sound more like a question.

"Exactly, Sam deliberately set things up so that I ended up walked in on him with Emily. That was his way of his revenge."

"Ouch! What did you do to him? If there wasn't someone else, then what was it?"

"There was no room for anyone else… I mean Sam was always so God damn paranoid about where I was and who I spent my time with. He was always accusing me of flirting with other guys, but that was NOT it... not this time. "

"Were you threatening to tell on him? Or leave him? Or both?" Edward asked. "He'd become controlling and abusive-…"

"For the record, he wasn't like that in the beginning, or the relationship wouldn't have lasted as long as it did," Leah apparently felt the need to explain. "I'm not the kind of girl that puts up with that kind of shit… Anyway, Sam found out that I had kept something from him… a secret of sort, and a big, dark one at that. And before you ask, no, I'm not going to tell you what it was, because it's personal…."

"Okay, fine…Fair enough," Edward agreed with a nod.

Now, he wasn't one to listen to gossip. However, there had been a rumor floating around for ages about some unnamed girl from school getting an abortion and lying to her boyfriend and friends about it. He'd heard Alice and Rosalie speculate about it numerous of times. Many names had been thrown around… and if his memory served him correctly, Leah's name had been one of them. He hadn't paid much attention to it back then, but hearing her words now in addition with what he knew about the timing of it all… The rumor had first come about at a time when Leah's relationship with Sam had been very new and very casual… it was a theory as good as any…

"Now, I don't blame Sam for getting upset about it," Leah said, as if reading his mind. "He had the right to know, but I didn't tell him and so he had to find out from someone else what I had done…"

Edward turned to watch her warily.

"But the way he reacted was not okay in any way shape or form," she continued. "He flipped out on me. He just totally flipped out. He was throwing furniture around and yelling at me. I had never seen him like that before…"

"Seriously, WTF. Let me guess, he was wasted or tripping on something?"

"Maybe, I don't know… It was scary and I knew I had to get away from him. I locked myself inside his bathroom and climbed out through a window."

"Alright, and he never forgave you?"

She nodded. "A few days later, he showed up at work and apologized. He was very sweet, professing his undying love for me. Naïve as I was I agreed to give us another chance… I still believed he was the love of my life and that we could work through his issues … Not even a week later he sprung his affair with Emily on me."

"That sucks… but I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding someone better suited for you, if you really wanted to," Edward offered as a form of awkward compliment. "That being said though, I still don't see what this has to do with Swan. I assume that's where you're going with this. Two cycles don't make a pattern…"

"Not so fast… You're missing the first cycle. Make no mistake, there is definitely shit coming Rosalie's way. Royce has made it perfectly clear that none of the others can touch her, that he wants her unscathed, so that he can have his wicked way with her once he'd is off parole... He's been threatening to mark her face and body until she's so ugly she would rather die than show herself in public. The threats have been going on for months…"

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Edward raised his voice, startling the girl before him. "You've known about this for months and you haven't once thought that 'hey, maybe I should warn the people at risk of getting hurt here?!' What's wrong with you?!"

"Oh, Rosalie knows all about this. It's all part of King's evil twisted revenge plan, to have her spend years of her life living in fear, constantly looking over her shoulder. Why do you think your brother's car got broken into, not once, but four times, I think it was, last year? Ask him about the notes, the little 'love letters' Royce's' minions have been leaving behind for him and Rosalie to find. Ask him about the messages on Rosalie's phone…"

"This is news to me," Edward sighed, racking a hand through his hair. Was Leah actually telling the truth, or was she serving carefully crafted half lies with the sole intention of stirring up more drama?! Where did her loyalties lie? He knew for a fact her brother, Seth, still hung out with the likes of Sam and Paul…

"Check with your siblings, they can confirm most of what I've told you," Leah insisted.

"Oh, I will do just that…believe me, I will."A nauseated feeling suddenly came over him. "What does this mean for Swan though? What did she ever do to end up in this mess? I mean, other than turning down James advances a few times… and toying with the feelings of Sam's little friend Jake? Is it because of who her father is? Or is it her friendship with Alice…" He trailed off when he noticed the way Leah was shaking her head at him.

"It's you, Eddie. I believe you've been the target all along and she's just collateral damage... All I can say is that you're not popular with the big five."

"The big five?" he snorted. He'd never heard that one before. It didn't even fit, seeing as the five guys that she was referring to where divided into two fractions that rarely ever shared the same opinions on anything. Each of the Tanner brothers had their own crew; Laurent, Royce, James on one side, Embry, Sam and all the 'rez' kids on the other side. And those two fractions were always at war with each other…

It seemed every teen above the age of fifteen in this God forsaken town was infatuated with those five guys and the whole drug culture they represented. Everything seemed to revolve around who had the best dope, who was raking up money, who was snitching and of course who owed who what and who should get the first pick? __

And the one guy profiting from it all was none other than ol' man Tanner, who for some reason seemed to be pitching his two son's against each other. Rumors had it that it was a competition of sorts, to see who was most adept to take over the family business... and no, we're not talking about the saw mill farm, and the 15+ acres of hilly woodland here.

Some people claimed Tanner had a meth lab hidden away in the woods somewhere; others insisted he had switched into anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs as it was believed to be both safer and more lucrative than trading 'regular' narcotics. Supposedly he was also running various identity theft and financial fraud schemes on the side…

Edward found it a bit laughable to be honest; who would chose a life on a small farm in the middle of nowhere, if they were making big bucks on drugs…Why waste away in the rainiest state in the continental U.S, if you can afford to relocate somewhere warmer and beach-ier? Or, at the very least, why not move closer to a big, busy city, with more potential customers? …No one makes big money targeting high school kids with limited founds…. It made no sense what so ever...

"I'm not joking," Leah interrupted his train of thoughts."I think I played right in Sam's hands when I posted those pictures of you and me online. I think him and Embry were already planning something against you… I think you've had it coming ever since the night you stole Tanya from-…"

"What?! Wait! If you're trying to make this out to be about Tanya Denali, I'm out of here!"

"I know. It's stupid. She slept with half the football team while she and Embry were dating and I'm pretty sure he had a side piece too. The thing is, he was publicly humiliated when Tanya dumped him and then proceeded to hook up with you. I mean, it was the night of HIS birthday party, of all nights. I'm sure that stung! You symbolize everything he'll never be - the smart, rich, white kid with college plans and a bright and carefree future ahead of you."

"But I checked with him that we were okay and that there were no hard feelings -…"

"Ah, but did this conversation take place before you slept with her?"

"Eh…no."

"Hey man, I snorted a bit too much nose candy and got so fucked up I think I might have accidentally slept with your girlfriend, but we're still cool, right?!" Leah said, mimicking a masculine voice. "I can assure you Eddie, no matter what he said when you talked to him about it, he was NOT okay with it… not even a little…"

"This is bullshit," Edward objected. "We are on reasonably good terms with one another... or we were on good terms, until Sam came after me with his lies and his manipulations and all that crap about you cheating on him with me and-… Oh. Oooh."

"Yeah, exactly. Sam killed two birds with one stone there. He put the little lying bitch in place…" She paused to point at herself. "…making sure everyone knew who was at fault when the relationship fell apart, but more importantly he took the opportunity to go after you, making you look like public enemy number one. And he pulled it off without tarnishing Embry's precious Tanya … Coincidence? I think not!"

"Well… okay, good point there. I mean, Uley sure managed to manipulate not only his own entire clique of kids on the reservation, but half the school as well, into believing I'm some sort of man-whore, working my way through all the girls at school, even the taken ones… especially the taken ones… "

"Yes, funny that…. Also, Embry sure knew exactly what he was doing when he decided to cut you off. By refusing to sell to you, he effectively pushed you right into the arms of James, who I'm sure you know has replaced Royce as Laurent's new right-hand man."

"So…?"

"So, I'm sure you're aware that Laurent Tanner is a guy with no conscience whatsoever… he makes the others look like the lost little boys they are."

Well, okay, that was definitely true. While Embry was the thrifty one, the entrepreneur; Laurent was the one to watch out for as he was known to be completely ruthless. The guy had no scruples, no shame, and no heart…

"But what did I ever do to get on Laurent's shit list?" Edward asked. "I think I've spoken to him a grand total of five times since we were kids… And this last year, I've been nothing but a loyal and returning customer. Surely, Laurent doesn't care about his brother getting dumped on his birthday and I know he definitely doesn't care about anything Sam says-… "

"Maybe he's the grudge holding kind… Maybe he's still pissed about losing Royce on his crew… Honestly, who knows what goes through Laurent's mind? He's special and not in a good way. What I do know is that ever since Royce was arrested, someone's been systematically going after those closest to you... another odd coincidence, wouldn't you agree?"

When Edward didn't say anything, she added, "You still don't believe me.

"This is a lot to take in, Leah. Most of it, if not all, sounds very far-fetched to me."

"You wanna know what I think? I think none of the big five actually believes Alice was the sole mastermind behind the operation that put Royce behind bars. You're the smart one, everyone knows that... Also, with the whole 'Tanya-gate', I think it's safe to say that you've upset both sides of the Tanner clan, which in turn means everyone in this town wants to see you suffer."

"Alright. Alright…but what about Bella? I mean, which one of those bastards-…" he couldn't even finish that sentence. "Who touched her?!"

"I don't kn-…. "

"Who do I need to KILL?" He said it with such venom Leah actually flinched.

"I really don't know. Alright." she repeated, meeting his eyes. "I don't think ANYONE knew she was pregnant. I don't know what that means for the paternity of her babies… I'm her next door neighbor. I can tell you she lives a quiet life. She doesn't sleep around, or even get out much. I can also tell you I haven't heard anything about anyone going after her in THAT way. Even if you don't seem to think so yourself, you could very well be the only baby-daddy-candidate out there-…"

"Stop! Don't say shit like that. I'm not… I would have known if that was the case. I'm always careful."

"Sure, if you think so, honey," she agreed, with a snort.

Suddenly a car horn blared through the air, causing them both to jump.

"Damn," Edward cursed under his breath, knowing it was most likely his father's way of letting him know he was getting tired of waiting.

"Well, damn indeed," Leah said. "I think Dr. Cullen just saved my ass, by letting me know another car just pulled up."

She was right, Edward realized. A blue sedan had just pulled up and a woman in a hideous orange coat was in the process of getting out of the driver's seat.

"Listen Eddie, I gotta go. I don't know what happened to your girl and I don't know how this is all connected. I just know there has to be a connection... Maybe she's with them? Maybe it was all a set up? Maybe you were supposed to get busted for supplying the police chief's underage daughter with drugs…."

"No, I don't think-.."

"But then your girl realized she'd gotten herself pregnant, " Leah hurried to add. "…an unplanned accident, I'm sure," she continued. "One that she tried to take care of herself, but then things go out of hand and-… "

"Bella did NOT put her own baby in plastic bag and seal it off with duct tape." Edward interrupted her. "Nothing will ever make me believe that."

"No. I know. I'm with you there. I'll keep my eyes and ears open for you, but I really gotta go now. Oh, and Cullen, thank your Dad from me, will you!"

And with those words, Leah Clearwater was gone and Edward was left feeling even more confused than before.

"Fuck my life," he muttered shakily, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat. "Fuck this twisted town where no one is who or what they seem."

.

…

.

AN: so a lot of information crammed into this chapter. Let me try and break it down for you.

As for the first part with E and C in the car, there are two things mentioned in there that could be of importance later on. E finding it important enough to ask his father to check if B has a lawyer…. He can pretend it's for selfish reasons, but really…. it's not for nothing that his thoughts are constantly going back to her, in one way or another.

The other thing…. Carlisle and Esme's past marital problems. Had you picked up on that? Esme said in one of the previous chapter "I married him, divorced him and married him again." Well, this will come up again… stuff happened when they were not together… stuff that had major impact on their kids lives.

Now as for the second part…. Leah had a lot to get off her chest. Some of which is true, some of which is not. The important part is what we learned about the two Tanner brothers and the 'big five', here. Laurent, Royce, James on one side, Embry, Sam and the rest of the 'rez kids' on the other side. Oh, and of course the little detail about Tanya being Embry's girlfriend before she hooked up with E… Remember how both Rosalie and Jasper have been questioning T motives?!


	59. Chapter 59

**-=[Isabelle Higginbotham, the present ]=-**

 _._

….

.

 ** _AN: Beware, we're back with Bella in present time again!_**

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Small towns are weird, and you can feel it the moment you arrive. Everyone else seems to belong except you — at least, if you're an outsider.

Though the drive into Forks was a short one, Bella's mind was on high alert the entire way. There was that eerie sense of being watched and scrutinized that just wouldn't go away. The hair on the back of her neck was prickling as she parked her rental car in the parking lot outside of the store that had been her workplace as a teenager.

The building looked exactly like she remembered it. The façade had been given a new coat of paint at some point, but the old, crooked neon sign, spelling out 'Newton's Outfitters' over the entrance looked exactly the same.

Driving through town had definitely felt like stepping back in a time a bit. Sure, some buildings had come down and others had gone up, but at the same time, not a whole lot seemed to have changed… not look wise anyway. Forks was still just this tiny little town with not a lot going on.

Honestly, there was something about the mentality of this place that was just…toxic. Once an outsider always an outsider - you are either in with the locals … or not.

"Come on, you can do this," Bella gave herself a pep talk as locked the car. "What's the worst that could happen? Some asshole stopping you in the street to say something douche or rude? It's not like you haven't dealt with that or worse before."

.

…

.

The doorbell chimed as Bella stepped into the store. Hastily, she rearranged her expression to a calm, friendly smile, while mentally trying to keep the anxiety at bay.

"I'll be with you in a minute," a voice announced from the depths of the store.

It didn't sound like the old Mrs. Newton, which Bella realized made her feel somewhat relieved. Was Mike's mom even still around? Bella couldn't remember hearing one way or another.

"Oh, it really is you!" A short, petite woman with dark, curly, hair strode out from behind a shelf of hiking boots. "I mean, hi! It's good to see you! Mike said you were planning on stopping by."

Bella froze in place, because that last part had been delivered with a nasal twang that seemed oh so familiar… Actually, everything about the woman before her was familiar. "Jessica? Jessica Stanley?"

"It's Newton these days," the woman smiled, pointing to the wedding ring on her left hand.

"Wow! I had no idea… Congratulation!" Bella stuttered.

"Thank you, B. Can I call you B? Or do you prefer Belle? Mike told me that's your name these days."

"B is fine, I guess…" Bella mumbled, not quite brave enough to meet Jessica's curious gaze just yet.

"Don't worry. We're the only two here," Jessica added, sensing Bella's nervousness, but not its cause. "No one will overhear us talking."

"Oh, that's not what I was-… Nevermind. That's good to know." Bella started saying at the same time as Jessica said, "I like what you've done to your hair. The shorter length, with the soft waves… it kind of gives off an old Hollywood vibe."

"Uh...thanks," Bella said, awkwardly.

Silence ensued for a moment, followed by a sheepish smile from Jessica.

Oh shoot, Bella was probably expected to return the compliment with one of her own… Her mind went blank though and she couldn't think of one single nice thing to say.

She needn't have worried though, because Jess was already talking again. "It really is great to see you. And I'm not just saying that. I really do mean it. Honest to God," the woman said firing off a smile that actually seemed genuine.

"If you say so… I mean, we were never really THAT close, but-…." Bella started saying hesitantly.

"Wait, I know what you're about to say," Jess interrupted. "And you're absolutely right. I realize we weren't like best friends or anything in high school. I guess what I'm trying to say is that as you grow older, your perspective will also grow and you'll start looking at things differently. You discover new things about yourself and who you used to be…"

Jessica paused, clearly expecting some sort of response, so Bella nodded.

"See, I knew you'd get it." Jessica clapped her hands together like a pleased parent. "So in my case, I've come to realize that I was a follower, a sheep, a tag along with no mind of my own… I just wanted to blend in and be like everyone else… only prettier and more popular, of course… But you on the other hand, you swept into town like a fresh breeze. You never gave a damn about vain stuff, like wearing certain clothes or buying the 'right' brand of makeup or even matching your shoes with the rest of your outfit. You never bothered with befriending the popular crows. You didn't care about getting invites to the 'right' parties…or whether any of the hot boys at school would notice you or not …"

Bella must have made a sound then, because Jessica gave her a knowing look before she continued. "I remember being oh so jealous of you, because Mike always made a fool of himself whenever you were around. You barely even took notice of that though, did you? You could have picked whichever boy you wanted. They all flocked to you like bees to honey, but you never even seemed particularly interested … and why would you? You'd already bagged the hottest of them all, of course, without knowing he was also the biggest asshole this side of-… " Jessica suddenly cut herself short with a cough. "You know what, that's not important. I just wanted to say that I recognize now that it takes more guts to be different than it does to follow a pack of fools. And also, I'm sorry for being such a bitch towards you back in the day! "

Bella gave a little shrug, as if to say none of this mattered to her now. Honestly, she was lacking the energy to correct the somewhat incorrect description.

 _Seriously, what was up with everyone's fascination with talking about the past? First Emily and now Jessica… These weren't even people she had known all that well…_

"Then again, you weren't particularly friendly or open to new people, either," Jessica saw the need to point out, though her ever present smile made it clear there was no hard feelings from her side.

"I suppose not." Bella agreed willingly, not wanting to start anything that might turn ugly. "But that was then, and now is now. Believe it or not, I do have a reason for being here and it's not to talk high school memories."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to ambush you or get too personal," Jessica said with a laugh. "Mike always says I talk too much… "

"Speaking of Mike, you said he'd mentioned that I would be stopping by, but did he tell you why?" Bella asked, jumping at the chance to change the subject. "I mean, did you know I've been contacted by the Forks police department to help them look into a particular situation?"

"Well, I've heard rumors as to which situation this could be in regards to," Jessica answered, her curls bouncing as she spoke. "I know enough to put two and two together. You're here to ask questions about Bree Tanner and her home situation, aren't you?"

"Yes, that would be correct. Are you okay with this? It'll take ten minutes at most."

"Yeah, that's fine. Let's not do this here though. How about we go outside and sit in the sun for a bit," Jessica suggested. "I'm due for a break anyway."

"Oh, no. There is no need for that. This is fine. If a customer walks in, I don't mind waiting while you take care of business."

"It's not like we'll get that many customers this time of day anyways," Jess said, walking to the door, she flipped the OPEN sign to read CLOSED. "Come, follow me. I've got the perfect spot for us."

.

…

.

A few minutes later Bella found herself seated in a nice deck chair, placed on, what was left of a redundant wooden ramp at the side of the building (a relic from the horse and carriage days probably –yes, the building really was THAT old!).

From their chairs, Jess and Bella could lap up the last of the autumn sunshine, while overlooking, not only the quiet parking lot, but also the equally quiet south side of the town's main street as well… It really was an excellent spot for the conversation they were about to have.

As it turned out Jessica knew more than she'd initially let on.

So far she'd admitted that, yes, she did know why Bree had been unable to come in for work the past week and a half. And yes, she was aware that young Bree was currently in hospital. Apparently, the entire town knew this. However, Jess also seemed to know why they were hesitant to release the girl back to her family. Now, this was information only a handful few of people knew about.

"Don't be mad at Mike. He doesn't mean any harm. He's just terrible at keeping secrets from me," Jessica hurried to defend her husband. "That's probably why our marriage is working as well as it is."

"How long have you two been married anyway?" Bella couldn't stop herself from asking. She didn't want Jess to start talking about high school again, but she had to admit she was a bit curious.

"Going on three years now. We got hitched as soon as Mike was back from Seattle," Jess answered, not finding the question odd in the slightest. "He actually made it through two years of college and then another 14 weeks of police training. Would you believe that? I'm very proud of him. I only lasted one and a half semester at U Dub. College definitely wasn't my thing."

"I suppose it isn't for everyone," Bella offered, not sure what else to say. "You seem to be content with your life and that's all that really matter."

"Yeah, I like running this place and things are good with Mike. He's certainly no Prince Charming, but he's alright. We make it work and the best thing… we got a little Mikey Jr. at home," she beamed. "Oh shoot, I wish I had my phone with me. I'll have to show you some pictures of him before you leave. He's adorable."

"Oh, I'm sure he is," Bella answered, then adding, jokingly, "how could he not be with those genes!"

"What about you?" Jess asked, turning the attention back to Bella."Do you have anyone in your life? Boyfriend, husband…partner?"

Bella sighed inwardly. She had to give Jess credit for not including kids in her question though.

"Uhm, no," she answered, looking at the sky for strength "No one important, anyway."

"No one important? So there IS someone?"

"There was someone for a bit, but we wanted different things in life so we broke up. It was a mutual decision. Honestly, me coming here and putting a bit of distance between us, was exactly what we needed - a clean break with no contact for a while."

"Oh…. Oh, I'm sorry!" Jessica exclaimed. "If I'd known you'd just gone through a breakup, I wouldn't have asked."

"It's okay. You couldn't have known that," Bella assured her, realizing it really was okay. She hadn't actually thought about this whole ordeal in days. "Let's talk about something else instead. Tell me about Bree, tell me why you decided to hire a fourteen year old girl… and a deaf one at that? Or was it Mike's idea? I know him and Embry are friends."

"No, the decision was mine. I knew of her background and I figured she might benefit from having positive female role models around her. Also, I thought she was very brave for putting herself out there the way she did when she came in to the store to apply for the job."

"So, you're saying you had reasons to believe Bree was having issues on the home front?"

"I'm actually very particular about who I hire," Jessica said, ignoring Bella's question. "I like to help young teenage girls when nobody else does. I like them to think of this place as a safe sanctuary, a home away from home. Girls from broken homes often have problems with self-esteem and trust. I try to be someone they can talk to without feeling put down or intimidated. "

"That's very admirable of you. "

"If I can help one girl avoid what I went through, then I've done my job right," Jess stated with conviction.

'I know the feeling', Bella wanted to say, but instead she simply nodded for Jess to continue.

"Do you know how many teens turn to drugs because of an emotional disconnect in the family? Never mind, of course you do. You're the one working on a fancy degree in child psychology, after all…"

"I'm training and studying to become a counselor. I don't know how fancy that is…"

"Very fancy… in my world at least," Jessica insisted. "Listen, my dad left us when I was 14 and after that we lived on the edge of existential minimum for years. We had to sell the house I'd grown up in, because mom couldn't afford to pay the bills on her nurse's salary. We were dirt poor, living in a tiny, tiny apartment on the outskirts of town. I faked my way through high school, pretending to be someone I wasn't. And then the one thing I'd dreamt of for years came through and I was accepted to college. Paying for that dream was always going to be a challenge, but I was up for it… I thought I could handle it … But as I've already told you, I didn't even make it through my first year."

"Honestly, I didn't know any of this," Bella said, when Jess paused for a moment. "You always looked and acted so…. flashy and I don't mean that in a bad way, just… I don't know. There were always shopping trips, movie outings and dinners out with friends. You had your own car, a really nice one, if I remember correctly..."

"Yeah, well the car belonged to one of mom's 'special' friends. Trust me, it was all a façade… I'm not telling you this to make you feel sorry for me. I just trying to make you understand where I'm coming from with this… "

"Alright, you want to help young girls, with similar background as your own. You want to see them succeed in life. I got it."

"I'm not sure you do… My scholarship was a partial one, so it only covered my tuition. I always knew I would need a job to pay for housing and the other expenses. Nothing unusual about that… However, seeing as my only work experience was in waitressing, the job I managed to secure was at a not-so-classy burger joint slash dive bar. In hindsight it was probably the worst environment for someone with my background to end up in. Before that first year was even over, I was broke, homeless and struggling with alcohol dependence and a meth addiction. I had no choice but to crawl home with my tail between -..." Jess suddenly stopped mid sentence and did that fish mouth thing for a few seconds before she shook her head, muttering, "What are the odds?"

"The odds of what?" Bella asked a bit perplexed.

Jess was still shaking her head. When she answered her voice was calm, but cautious. "I don't know how you're going to react to this, but we're being watched - three a clock, by the park bench near the bakery…. Do you see him?"

Bella looked in the direction that jess was staring and saw a man walking towards them, _his face_ downcast.

Her heart skipped a beat – or several – and her breath caught in her throat.

Because, it wasn't just any man…it was Edward Cullen, dressed in what must be work garb of some sort… heavy rubber boats, bulky pants with suspenders.

As if he sensed the eyes on him, he lifted his own gaze off the ground and started scanning his surroundings.

Yep, it was definitely him. He looked older - different - yet there was no room for doubt, it was Edward, alright.. Same hair, same walk, same eyes... And he was still walking, still getting closer with every step and every breath.

Time seemed to suddenly stand still. Bella saw him cross the street and it was like watching a slow motion movie of a car crash or something - there was enough time to look, but not enough to react. Her heart was thundering in her chest and all she could manage was a little squeak.

Then, just as quickly as he'd started walking towards them, he turned around again. Next thing she knew, he'd started walking – or, actually running was more like it- in the opposite direction. And he didn't stop, half a minute later he had disappeared completely out of sight.

"Either the bastard got paged…. or he chickened out. I know which one I'm betting on…" Bella heard Jessica say from beside her. There was a couple of variations of 'asshole', followed by, "Are you okay, B?"

Bella realized she had to say something or else Jess would draw her own conclusions. Sure, seeing Edward again after all this time had been a shock for her, there was no point in denying that… but she didn't want to turn this into some big dramatic thing.

"What just happened?" she managed to ask, without a stutter, though her voice that was a bit too high to sound casual. "I mean, was that really-… ?"

"Edward Cullen," Jessica finished the sentence for her. "Yes, that was really him."

"Oh, okay…. but why was he dressed like an asphalt paver?"

That, was apparently hysterically funny, because Jess threw back her head and laughed.

"What?"

"You obviously haven't heard about his latest career move?" she giggled. "It's quite recent. He's a firefighter now. Yes, you heard that correctly…Edward Cullen is a firefighter."

"Jessica, I haven't had any contact with him… or any of the Cullens for years," Bella heard herself admitting quietly. "Wasn't even sure if any of them still lived here… I know his parents never managed to sell that freaking four story mansion of theirs, but that's pretty much all I know… " she added, trying to keep her voice calm and her words conversational.

"Eddie lives in Port Angeles, but I've heard he comes for visits quite often, especially now that Alice is back in town. He rarely shows his face in broad daylight though… unless, of course, its work related. He's quite the hermit these days."

"You mentioned Alice being back…" Bella said trying to steer the conversation towards safer ground. "Where did she end up going after graduation? New York? Or abroad?"

"Paris, actually. Speaking of which, you do realize I'm going to have to tell her I've seen you, right? If I don't I reckon Eddie will."

"Oh… Didn't realize you and Alice are close. That's nice…"

Talking about Edward and Alice so casually made her feel a bit odd. Perhaps because the Cullens had been such a taboo subject around her for so long.

"We go to the same AAA meetings and she-…" Jess started to say, but suddenly realized she'd said too much. She cast her eyes downward. The silence lasted some moments.

"AAA? All Addicts Anonymous?" Bella asked with brow furrowed. This surprised her.

"You weren't lying. You really haven't been keeping in touch with them, have you?" Jess asked, incredulously.

"No," Bella shook her head. "Why would I lie about that? Don't worry, Jess…. If Alice is attending those meetings as someone's sponsor, or support person, then that's great. If it's for her own benefit, then that's also… great. Either way it's none of my business. I won't tell anyone we've had this conversation…"

"Thanks… I don't think she'll mind, she's been pretty open about… well, where she is in life and why she's there, but yeah, it's probably for the best if you don't mention this to anyone else," Jess said, looking a bit relieved. "Anyway, if you haven't been keeping tabs on the Cullens, then you probably haven't heard the latest about, Emmett and Rose either? "

"No… Is it good stuff? Do I want to hear this?"

"Yeah, yeah… it's all good. I promise." Jess smiled. "They just moved into a house down the road from where Mike and I live. You're not going to believe which house it is though. Do you remember the creepy bird lady – Mrs. Debisch? "

"Yeah, I remember her and I remember her house; the big yellow one, right?… With the collapsed outhouse. "

"That's the one. They purchased it for next to nothing and then invested a small fortune into renovating the place to the highest standards."

"That house was enormous. Guess they're planning on having a big family…?"

"They already have five children -all girls." Jess held up her hand, showing off all five fingers. "I don't think Emmett will stop until he manages to produce a son... So, yeah, they really needed to find some place big enough to fit the whole family."

"Five?" Now it was Bella's turn to sound incredulous.

"Yeah, five. The two youngest are a pair of four months old twins-…Oh look, there is my lunch date," Jess suddenly exclaimed, as a police cruiser came driving down the street. "Is it eleven thirty already? Time flies when you're having fun… or dodging work. Do you want me to send him away? I can do that-…"

"No, that's fine," Bella was quick to assure her. She had just about reached her social quota for the day and the idea of getting out of dodge felt tempting. "I should get going. My next stop is a bit weather dependant, so I should try and get there while the sun is out."

The current calm and rain free conditions were perfect for a visit to the old lookout spot and the cliffs where the police had found Bree.

Bella was actually kinda glad the weather had given her a legit excuse to leave. Because honestly, she didn't much feel like sticking around and listening to Jessica's reenactment of Edward's brief surprise cameo, or rather, his ghostly appearance. She didn't want to hear Mike's take on it, didn't want to analyze or dwell on it. In fact, her plan was to forget it ever happened.

Speaking of forgetting…. It wasn't until later that Bella realized she'd not asked nearly enough questions about Bree during her visit at the Newton's. Her own fault, for getting sidetracked. She would probably have to seek out Jessica for another chat… Yay! she couldn't wait! No sarcasm there at all...

.

….

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	60. Chapter 60

_**AN: a few trigger warnings… This chapter contains several mentions of suicide and also emotional abuse and**_ _ **sexual exploitation of a child.**_

 _ **.**_

 **-=[Isabelle Higginbotham, the present ]=-**

 _._

….

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Bella had another nightmare that night. About Edward.

It wasn't that surprising. Not really. For starters, all sorts of memories were bound to resurface now that she was back in Forks… Also, knowing Edward had been close by the entire time she'd been back fucked with her mind a bit. She had not been able to stop thinking about their brief encounter… or almost-encounter, all afternoon.

The theme of the nightmare surprised her though… there was no babies, no forest, no blood… It had actually been rather tame, compared to some of her other dreams lately….

However, what gave it that nightmar-y, angst-y feel to it, was that the dream had taken her back to the night Edward had dumped her, or rather the night she had pushed him into breaking things off with her. It was not a night she particularly liked to revisit.

Another hint that it was, in fact, a nightmare, had been that the setting was all wrong. There should have been a bedroom –Edward's bedroom - but instead 'Dream-Bella' found herself outdoors, balancing on the edge of a narrow cliff, overlooking a dark stormy ocean.

It was obviously no coincidence that this scenery looked almost identical to the rocky, inhospitable, but mythically beautiful landscape, that Bella had visited earlier in the day. She'd spent a good half an hour on 'Bree's cliff' looking out over the rugged coastline and the water lapping the bouldered shore below, contemplating life choices and why certain things happened the way they did.

Standing on that cliff, Bella could almost feel something calling her from afar... beckoning her closer and closer to the edge. The temptation to peer out over that ledge had been almost overwhelming. The place did seem relatively safe in daylight, but there was no doubt that one slip or misstep would mean certain death.

Eventually, Real-life-Bella had veered back to safer grounds again. Actually, her moment of quiet introspection and reflection had been abruptly interrupted by a car driving by at a slow speed - nothing but curious tourists most likely, but she'd felt the last thing she needed was for the police to show up after receiving a call about a 'jumper'.

In her nightmare, however, things had not ended quite as calmly. Not too surprisingly, Dream-Bella had taken a tumble over the edge off that cliff. In her dream she found herself free falling, her body plummeting down, down, down... into the unknown…

Bella had woken up in a cold sweat, just seconds before crashing against the rocks.

What made the dream so freaky, apart from the panicky shit-I'm-gonna-die feeling, was the fact that jumping towards certain death was one of the things she'd contemplated while standing there on that cliff earlier in the day.

Not contemplating it, as in 'I think today's gonna be the day I jump off a cliff' – no, on the contrary actually. What she'd been contemplating was the fact the she'd never considered it, not even once. No matter how complicated and painful her life had been, giving up had never been a fucking option...

She was not Renee… She was nothing like her mother. She would never choose the same coward's way out as her mother had done.

From her bed, Bella stared up at the ceiling, waiting for her heartbeats to calm. It was no use. As always, thinking about her mother brought forth a floodgate of emotions and thoughts.

As a child you have nothing but unconditional love for your parents. Bella had been able to enjoy a relatively normal early childhood, living in a tiny one-bedroom apartment with her immediate family, which at the time consisted of her single mom Renee and their cat, Princess. Of course, her father and her grandmother was part of her life too, but her visits to Forks to see them had been sporadic at best.

Looking back, Bella would say problems first arose when her Renee got a work transfer to Phoenix, Arizona. Bella had been 8 years old when they had moved and she had been transferred to a new school. She had actually been excited at first… and a little nervous.

She had thought this new school was going to be like her old school, but it wasn't. At her old school, everyone had been friends with EVERYONE. At this new school however, it hadn't been like that at all, and for the longest of time after moving there she'd been alone with no friends, at school or elsewhere, to speak of. But that wasn't a major issue… No, the real problems started when Phil Dwyer came into their lives.

Renee had married Phil, who just so happened to be her latest boss, after having known him less than three months. Although their friends and family wondered if she had lost her mind for taking such a big step so quickly, but her mother fully believed she'd met her soul mate. A belief she had held onto strongly, even in the face of actual evidence to the contrary.

What had started as an office romance turned serious real fast, when they got carried away and got caught in a 'compromising' position at the company Christmas party.

Bella had learned, once she got older, that there had been some sort of ultimatum involved there, as the workplace had a strict no dating employee policy – 'say your wedding wows or say goodbyes to your jobs…'.

Also, and this was something she'd figured out much, much later, Phil had most likely set the whole thing up. He needed a wife to get out of a certain rather bothersome situation. There had been rumors going around about him having inappropriate relations with one of his clients much too young daughter.

Honestly, Bella could not fault her mother for thinking she had stuck gold, when she'd found herself such a young, fit, former athlete (read: hunk) of a husband. Phil was not only successful in his field of work, but also charming and attentive to everyone he met. And Phil did not disappoint. He put on a good show though and had seemed very committed to making the marriage work. There were romantic weekends away, anniversary gifts, vacations, etcetera, etcetera. He'd bought a beautiful house with a pool and a mass of bedrooms for his new wife and step-daughter. The hoped-for children to fill all those bedrooms never materialized, but the marriage seemed happy enough…. at least for the first five years.

The problem was that it was all a facade. The truth was something else entirely…. Phil turned out to be a serial cheater and a periodic emotional abuser and an altogether ill-fit for Renee, who had secretly been battling clinical depression beneath her cheerful sunny exterior, ever since she was a teenager.

Rather than breaking free from her cheating husband, Renee had chosen to live in denial about his indiscretions and weakness for young flesh. She continued to play the role of the happy wife and mother, telling anyone that would listen how perfect everything was.

The consequences of turning a blind eye to the evil that was Phil, was that his unacceptable behavior was allowed to continue and escalate until the situation spilled out of control.

Of course, the facade would start to crumble eventually… Most of the time her mother was cooping just fine and life was... not perfect, but at least it manageble. However, with every passing year, Renee's depression grew progressively worse, to the point of jeopardizing her daughter's safety. Bella watched her mother go off her medication every other year while growing up. It never ended well. Renee ended up getting arrested three times and hospitalized twice, leaving Bella alone in Phil's care each and every time.

No one seemed to think anything of it... And why should they? There was never any bruises or evidence of any kind of abuse or misconduct. From the outside, Phil looked like an awsome guy, taking responsibility for his step daughter, when his wife's health was deteriorating. No one saw the warning flags. No one even thought to look for them...

Ironically, the 'unforgivable' had happened during one of Renee's more 'healthy' phases. She'd been medicated and functioning for more than two years at that point in time… She was even well enough to go back to work part time, but she was still nowhere near ready to face the reality of her husband's infidelity, not to mention his sick fascination with underage girls.

It all came to an end when another adult - the mother of one of Bella's friends from school - found out about the suggestive comments and unwanted touches that had become an everyday occurrence for the-then-sixteen-year-old Bella. This woman, bless her heart, had taken it upon herself to speak with Renee, urging her to take action against Phil.

The embarrassment and shame that came with knowing that others KNEW was apparently too much for Renee to handle.

A normal woman would have kicked such a man out – and called the police on him… That was the 'correct' right thing to do, the ONLY thing to do, right? Wrong! Renee had found another way to deal - or not to deal- with the whole situation.

Bella could not be sure what thoughts had gone through her mother's mind those last few seconds before turning the steering wheel and crashing her car in full speed into a concrete retaining wall on the high way. What she did know, however, was that her mother had been under the influence of a huge amount of alcohol as well as her usual antidepressants that afternoon. She also knew there had been no other vehicles, or factors like bad weather or slippery road conditions involved. The car had hit that concrete because that was the "way out" her mother had chosen for herself. And of course it was no coincidence that the vehicle had hurled into the wall, passenger side first. Renee had evidentially not only decided to end her own life in that crash, but she had done her best to kill off Phil too… or that had no doubt been her plan anyway…

However, sometimes things don't go according to plans and life can be both cruel and unpredictable…. While Renee had died on impact, Phil had miraculously (or rather, diabolically) survived the initial crash because of not wearing his f-ing seat belt… Even though he'd suffered both life threatening head injuries and severe burn wounds, he still managed to hold onto life for another two and a half months... proving without doubt that he really was in cahoots with the devil himself…

Looking back at it now with a more a grown-up perspective, Bella knew there was things she could have done differently, things she could have said differently, said sooner…. The outcome might still have been the same, but you have to make your choices in life and you have to follow the path that you think is the right path for yourself.

Finally confronting her mother about Phil's inappropriate behavior, after years of keeping it to herself, had been the right thing to do, even if the consequences had been dire. Her sixteen year self had only been trying to protect herself, when no one else could or would.

The aftermath of it all had Bella battling all sorts of conflicting feelings of guilt, anger, grief... and relief. On one hand she'd been blaming herself for causing her mother's death, at least indirectly. On the other hand she'd felt oh-so-fucking-relieved that the situation had sorted itself out in such a way that she never had to go back to that pretend happy family life with her mother and stepfather again.

Of course, after such a tragic 'incident' and with Bella still being a minor, there was no way of keeping the authorities out of her business. Moving in with her estranged father was so not the solution she had hoped for. Given the choice she would have preferred to get a place of her own and finish high school without having to change school again. But of course, that idea didn't sit well with the deciding parties… So off to Forks it was.

At least Charlie had the common decency and good sense to keep his hands to himself. He made a point not touched her unless he absolutely had to; there were no bedtime hugs, or guiding hands on the small of her back, or fake-y cheek-kissing. He was nothing like Phil in that regards. The emotional scars ran deep though, and the adjustment period had been long, with quite a few melt downs and near panic attacks along the way.

Despite walking around with all those 'invisible' wounds that were nowhere near healed, Bella found herself back in school much sooner than she would have anticipated. Not necessarily a bad thing as she was eager to get high school over and done with quickly, so that she could get out of her father's house again and get on with her life. It was just that being in school meant being around people all day long, which at the time had been hard on her. At least it was a new school, where no one knew about her past.

Ironically, apart from her father, the only other person that knew the truth about why she had come to live in Forks, was none other than Dr. Esme Cullen – the only suitable psychiatrist in town to take on the messed up teenager Bella had been at the time. Fate was still laughing at that one!

While Bella had not felt particularly receptive to therapy, she could definitely get behind Esme's drug free approach to treating anxiety. Honestly, she'd just wanted to be able to get off the Zoloft so that she could be herself again. The first twelve weeks of therapy sessions had been a court ordered necessity, after that she'd kept going, because… well, anything was better than sitting home doing nothing… or worse having to spend time with Charlie…

Of course, by this point, Edward and his self medicating ways had already become a permanent fixture in her life. Despite their differences, they had formed a strange friendship over their shared dislike for the endless popularity contest that was high school… Okay, screw that… honestly, she really just wanted good weed without breaking the bank.

Even though the attraction had been there from the very beginning, there had been an unspoken agreement between them to keep their interaction strictly platonic. Looking back, she was amazed at the lengths she'd gone through to keep everyone at arm's length. It also amazed her that she never had to do that with Edward. He simply never made any kind of move on her whatsoever…

With time, however, it became a complicated balance act for her. On one hand Bella had been scared shitless of being physical with a guy, in any capacity, but at the same time she craved reassurance that she was 'normal'… that she could still do intimacy and have physical relations with a guy without freaking out. Also, she just desperately wanted to prove to herself she was nothing like her mother, who'd never been able to break free from the demons in her head.

It had all come to a climax, literally and figuratively, when Jake had gone and done that stupid move, taking liberties with her that she was not willing to give…. not to him anyway. Jake wasn't Phil and much like with Charlie she'd never been scared of Jake in THAT way... but it had been unsettling all the same and completely threw her off balance.

Edward had, once again, come to her rescue. He'd definitely surprised her that night. He had been absolutely perfect, comforting her without touching her … asking without pushing….It was almost as if he knew 'KNEW' what had happened without her actually having to say it aloud. Fucking finally, a guy that acknowledged the need for of personal space and the existence of boundaries and that there are things you just shouldn't do without permission.

Of course, he had still been his usual moody, assholery self… nothing had really changed there, but strangely enough it was like it didn't matter anymore… nothing mattered. He was distraction and she needed distraction… BIG time. Less thinking, more doing… The weed helped, of course. She'd tried to be brave that night, taking steps, leaps even, towards overcoming her issues with intimacy and trust.

It went from talking to making out, and from there it wasn't long until they were ripping each other's clothes off. Another one of those little life choices that had seemed like the right thing to do at the time, but that had ended up having terrible consequences.

Ironically, the sex sessions that followed in the wake of that night was what seemed to have the biggest impact on Bella's general wellbeing. Not the weed, not the therapy - the sex. Finding Edward had been like finding the cure to everything that was wrong in this world. What were the odds of finding someone with similar issues with boundaries and trust? Someone that shied away from touching and being touched? Someone equally messed up and equally imperfect? She felt like she'd won some kind of lottery.

And for a while there life was starting to feel lighter and brighter again.

Sometimes Bella wondered if things would have ended differently, if she had taken that chance to be transferred to another psychiatrist in Port Angeles after Esme had been forced to take a sick leave all those years ago. Instead, she had passed on the opportunity... simply because she had convinced herself she felt all right…She didn't need therapy or pills to function. She was nothing like her mother…

Now, years later, she was lying there in bed, in the middle of the night, wondering if maybe the catastrophic turn her life had taken could have been prevented, if only she had agreed to see that shrink in Port A… Or maybe it had already been too late at that point... It was something she would never know for certain.

At seventeen though, she had thought she knew all the answers. Of course, she had been wrong… she wasn't all right.. not in the slightest. Without the weekly sessions to reinforce those newly established positive thinking patterns, it didn't take long for the doubts and the dark thoughts to creep back into her mind again… No sex in the world, not even the best sex in the world could counteract the unavoidable downward spiral. Like most things in life, what comes up, must come down... Soon she found herself back in that dark pit of self hatred and guilt…

Pushing Edward out of her life had only been the beginning of that destructive cycle. It was classic behavior, really; she'd had herself convinced that nobody could ever love her because was not worthy of being loved.

In hindsight, she was pretty sure Edward had actually harbored some measure of feelings for her… in his own detached way. Would it have been enough to build something real with time? Probably not, but that was another one of those thing she would never know.

She remembered the despair she'd felt when Edward had looked her in the eyes and said 'this isn't working anymore". He had more or less called her a 'nutjob'…Okay, he did not use that word, but he'd definitely said some rather hurtful things. She'd been absolutely devastated at the time, but deep down she'd known he was right. She could not fault him for thinking something was off about her behavior… because he had been 100 percent right, something had definitely been off. Knowing that he'd been right, however, did not make the breakup any less painful to deal with.

She remembered it like it had been yesterday, remembered the helpless, broken feeling that followed her around for months. She'd closed herself off emotionally, and no one, Edward included, had made any real attempts to get through to her. In fact, she'd not only wallowed in her own misery, she'd made all those that cared for her miserable as well.

Bella let out a deep sight, shoving her pillow over her face for a moment just to allow herself to block out the negative thoughts.

Wow, it was ridiculous really, how a ten second long near-encounter with someone from her past could bring up so many memories. Painful memories…. She did not want to think about the past anymore, but she could not stop her thoughts from going there, could not stop it creeping into her mind on tiny, whispering feet.

"Enough already! You're stronger than this," she scolded herself mentally.

There was no point in staying in bed any longer.

She checked the time; five thirty. Oh well, early morning walk is supposedly good for your health….

.

…

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 _ **AN:/ Before you ask... no full blown rape situation in Bella's past. Not that verbal and emotional abuse and inappropriate touching isn't bad enough, but the 'unforgivable' incident she was referring was not quite of that 'caliber'.**_


	61. Chapter 61

*-[The Past - Isabella Swan, 17 y.o=-*

*61*

*Bella's POV *

 _AN: this is the breakup scene that ends the secret relationship between Bella and Edward. The thing about secret relationships is that when they end, you're not supposed to be heartbroken._

Bella lowered her body to rest on the mattress; her head was swimming, the ceiling spinning. Quite frankly, she could easily fall asleep right then and there… if it hadn't been for the pain in her leg, of course. Always stiff, always aching….

With one swift movement, Edward pushed himself off the mattress and out of the bed.

He didn't even bother to tuck himself back into his jeans, instead he moved over to his desk and rummaged around until he'd located the joint he'd placed there when she'd called him over to the bed earlier.

"I'm gonna…" he trailed off, doing the chin-pointing thing towards the door. "You wanna join me?"

She coughed a little bit and shook her head 'no', grabbing some tissues from the bedside table to get cleaned up. She wished she'd thought to bring a glass of water with her over to the bed.

He rolled his eyes at her. "No, of course not."

Drawing in a deep breath, she flexed her jaw before speaking. "It's cold outside, besides I don't feel up for it-…" she started, her voice strained, but he interrupted her with a dismissive motion of his hand.

"That's just it. You never feel up for IT… or should I say, up for ANYTHING anymore," he stated.

"What are you complaining about? I just gave you head," she protested, pushing herself up on her elbows.

"After weeks of giving me nothing. You just come here to crash in my bed for a couple of hours. That's all you ever do anymore; sleep, bitch about how unfair everything is, and then sleep some more."

He paused with a hand on the sliding door, leading outside. "Listen Swan, I don't even recognize you anymore… and it's not even about the sex, or the lack thereof. I'm not a monster, I get that you've been through a great deal of pain, but it's been WEEKS."

"My leg-…" she started to object.

"Your leg is healing. Whatever your hang-up is, you should have gotten over it by now, but instead it's like you're reverting back to the shell of a person you were when you first got into town. You need to pull yourself together. You either start acting like a normal person again, or you get help, because this isn't workin-…"

"Oh, that's rich coming from you," she interrupted him with a short dry laugh. "You bottle stuff up until you blow."

"Do NOT!"

"So you never let anything …? Never hold any grudges …No unresolved trauma in your past. Nope… Your childhood was picture-perfect, complete with a doting set of parents and a playroom full of -…"

"Okay, stop it! That's different," he snapped.

"Is it? I wouldn't know, because you never talk about yourself… or much at all," she countered, staring him down.

He looked devastatingly handsome standing there, bare-chested in a pair of unbuttoned jeans.

"All I know is that you didn't become this emotionally repressed person you are today for no reason. There is always a reason, Edward… always."

"I don't like to talk about my personal life so I must be having problems?" He asked, unsuccessfully trying not to sound defensive. "My parents didn't speak with each other for years … Mom packed up everything she could fit in her car, me an Al included, and left. Is that what you want to hear?"

"I-… no…."

"It was many years ago and obviously they have made up and everything is back to roses and rainbows and sunshine …. I don't need my brain picked, or my childhood analyzed. Thank you very much!"

"But apparently I do. Isn't that what you're saying?" Steeling herself against the pain, she rolled over onto her side. "I'm not a nutcase…. Yes, your mom was my psychiatrist there for a bit. I wish you'd stop throwing that I my face every chance you get." She muttered as she pushed herself up, swiveling her casted leg over the edge of the mattress.

Tyler Crowley had done a real number on her leg, when he'd crashed his van into her. Not on purpose, of course. Tyler claimed the whole thing had been a prank. He'd meant to gather speed and then slam on the breaks and screech to a halt right in front of Mike's Newton's most prized possession, his ridiculously pimped SUV. However, thanks to an aquaplaning situation (how's that even possible on a parking lot?!) Tyler's van had started to skid out of control.

Regardless of what the intent had been, it resulted in Bella suffering a fractured shinbone, a partial tear of her knee ligament and two broken metatarsal bones in her foot.

The icing on the cake had been that both Mike and Tyler had escaped with nothing but minor scratches…. See everything about this situation was UNFAIR and she should be allowed to bitch about it every chance she got!

"You said it, not me," Edward interrupted her train of thoughts, quickly grabbing a t-shirt off the floor and stepping into a pair of sneakers. "Something is clearly going on with you. I'm not saying this to be mean… but you've been such a Debby Downer lately and the time we spend hanging out together isn't exactly the highlight of my week."

"Excuse me?" she began angrily. "I didn't realize I've been holding you back from doing… whatever the fuck it is you think you should be doing with your time. Or should I say WHOEVER the fuck you think you should be fucking?!"

Her heart stung a bit at having to say that last part aloud. He had never shown any signs of being interested in anyone else... But she could sense that he wasn't as interested in her as he'd used to be... interested as a person, that is. He'd still touch her and try and persuade her into getting naked with him every chance he got, but… something was different. She could only assume it was because their non-relationship relationship had run its course.

"Okay, I lied when I said this wasn't about me missing the spectacular sex we used to have," Edward responded, with a calm tone of voice. "We agreed on a mutually beneficial arrangement - fun and easy sex, with no strings and no drama. You can't expect me to stick around, if you can't keep up your end of the deal."

With that he opened the door and stepped out into the cloud-enshrouded night without sparing her another glance.

"You're a jerk, Edward Cullen. A first class jerk," she shouted after him.

She saw him flick his lighter through glass door. For a moment she almost wished she hadn't turned down his offer to share that joint. 'No', she reminded herself, 'You're taking a break from that stuff for a while,' and besides, he really was behaving like a jerk the moment and probably needed a few minutes to cool off.

As if he'd heard her, he moved away from the windows. It was as if he couldn't stand even the sight of her anymore. She didn't blame him for losing interest. She had known this day would come, but now it was here and I wasn't ready to let him go.

She knew she only had herself to blame - he was right about her not feeling, or acting like her normal self lately. Being stuck with a full (toe to thigh) cast this long was possibly the most annoying thing ever. While she had been lucky enough to avoid needing surgery, the healing process was a very slow affair. The constant pain in her leg had put her in a never ending foul mood. She didn't just feel a little irritable; she felt downright blah all the time...To make things worse, she'd experienced a weird reaction to the pain meds and as a result from that she'd been feeling hideously nauseous for the first three weeks, like NONSTOP. She couldn't even enjoy weed anymore - made her feel even more nauseated. Of course, without the weed she felt anxious and paranoid and thus the cycle went on…

'Two more weeks of this', she reminded herself. She couldn't wait to get her cast off and start her physio.

Bella wasn't a gym loving person, not even a little, unfortunately she had a bit of a muffin top situation going on these days from spending too much time sitting on her ass doing nothing…

With a sigh, she slipped a hand under the sheet to pinch the slight pudge around her stomach. Yep, she would most definitely have to try and find some form of exercise that didn't bore her to death and didn't require a high fitness level.

She knew the weight gain wasn't all bad, of course... She'd been too skinny before, with no body fat, minimal curves, and no chest to speak of. However, this was probably the heaviest she'd been in years... and it made her feel a bit self conscious. She didn't want to be THAT girl - the one who needed constant reassurance about her physical appearance from everyone around her. But, really… every girl craves a little reassurance every now and then.

Edward had not seemed too put off by her weight gain at first. He'd been oh so thrilled when her boobs had gone up a cup size. He told her not to fret it. He'd even said some genuinely sweet things about how amazing he thought her body was and how much healthier she looked etcetera, etcetera…

However, for every sweet comment there would typically be at least three thoughtless, insensitive ones as well. She remembered one incident in particular when he'd been teasing her about how her double-chin was in danger of becoming a triple one. Now, that in itself wasn't too bad… but then he'd jokingly commented on the 'view', as he looked up at her from his sprawled position on the bed. "Not your best angle, Cupcake," he'd said, followed by, "I'm not complaining, because I liked seeing everything jiggle when you move around."

The thing was that she'd been completely naked at the time, sitting astride his muscular thighs with her hands on his near perfect washboard abs…. Let's just say that was the last time she had undressed before him in a fully lit room.

No matter how much whining he did, or how often he complained, she was unrelenting – if the light stayed on, so did her clothes. Bella held no real hope that he would apologize, or even acknowledge that he had said anything hurtful. He was just a horny teenage boy, thinking with his dick instead of his brain.

Maybe, he'd sing a different tune if she had put him on a complete sex ban…. Unfortunately though, her self-restraint was not her strong point, and so she would still fool around with him, occasionally, him in the darkness of the night. Simply because, if she didn't do it, he'd find someone else that would. He was easily one of the best looking guys at school... he was also antisocial and emo as hell, but that only made him even more sought it seemed.

Stupid boys, always getting away with their stupid shit!

Slowly, Bella limped around Edward's giant bed that took up more than half the space of the room, searching for her crutches.

She wasn't particularly looking forward to having to ask Edward for a ride home. However, there was just no way she could make the walk back into town on her own tonight. Normally, she'd take the short cut through the woods, but it was still a good twenty minutes walk and it had been raining on and off for the last hour, so the path was bound to be wet and slippery. With her luck she'd probable stumble and break her other leg, or her neck or something...

Bella finally found the crutches; not propped up against the desk where she'd left them, but in a heap on the floor, partly hidden underneath the bed. They'd probably ended up there when Edward had stormed out of the room.

She didn't quite know what to expect as she slid the glass door open and looked outside. Edward had a tendency to just up and leave whenever he felt cornered, or forced into a conversation he wanted no part of. Normally after an argument, he'd take off and she wouldn't hear from him for a day or two. She needn't have worried though, because he hadn't gone far this time. As she scanned the darkness outside, it didn't take more than a couple of milliseconds to see his figure seated on the top step of the stairs.

He'd had his back turned, but turned around at the sounds of her approach. There was just no way of moving around quietly, or sneaking up on someone with these darn crutches.

She saw him take a few deep tokes, then put the joint out and get to his feet.

"You ready to leave?" he asked, blowing smoke in her face. She knew he did that solely to annoy her.

"Yeah, well… I've just been told my company isn't wanted." She tried to shrug, nonchalantly, but the gesture wasn't convincing, even to her.

"That's not what I said-… Nevermind." He shook his head. "Let's get you home. Come here…" He held his arms out indicating he would help her with the stairs.

"If you drop me Cullen, I'll maim you with my crutches," she warned him with a scowl, but wobbled closer so that he could lift both her and the crutches off the ground.

She secretly loved this part.

Edward's room was located on top of his parent's large, five car garage, so to get from the little balcony they were currently standing on and down into the garden below you had to climb down a set of steep wooden stairs. Ever since Bella had injured her leg, Edward been insisting on carrying her up and down those stairs, claiming he didn't want any part in her breaking her neck. She'd taken it to mean that he must care about her, is some capacity at least…. Her chest tightened at that thought.

He was such a jerk most of the time, but at least he was a considerate jerk. She tucked her cheek against the broad warmth of his chest and allowed herself to get lost in his scent for a second.

Despite everything that had gone down between them, she didn't want this to be the end…. Didn't want to see him go to someone else…

The truth was, she had kind of, sort of, fallen in love with him.

Was it pathetic? Yes.

Damn unfortunate? Very much so. Especially seeing as he was already losing interest in her and there wasn't a whole lot she could do about it.

Bella turned her head towards the dark, night sky. It was foreboding and glaring down at her with its nasty foul mood.

"Have you ever cared about anyone without expecting some care in return?" she asked him as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"What kind of question is that?" he threw back at her, setting her down on her feet again.

"A philosophical one… but forget I asked. You never care about anything… you don't do emotions, you don't do attachment, and you don't do lo-…"

"I meant what I said before, this isn't working anymore," he interrupted her brusquely and Bella felt her heart drop.

This was it, wasn't it? What more was there to say? For a moment she was still, paralyzed by the flood of emotion that threatened to overwhelm her. Then anger took over, a deep, burning anger. If he wanted to dump her he certainly could…. but she was not going to make it easy for him.

"What isn't working? You're going to have to be more specific than that, Edward..." she demanded. "You're going to have to look at me and talk about your real feelings. I don't care if it makes you uncomfortable, I don't care if it makes me uncomfortable. You're going to have to deal with me, because you're the one who opened this shit-can of worms tonight…"

"NO, you're not putting the blame on me." He jerked his face in her direction, his face a stone mask now. "You barely talk to me, you don't want to do anything with me… I'm not even allowed to touch you, half the time…Honestly, if neither one of us is getting anything out of it anymore, then what's the point?"

"Was there ever any point?" She angrily grabbed the crutches out of his hand. "How many times have you not told me you were only in it for the sex?"

"Yeah, so? I don't do relationships. I was always VERY honest about how I felt about that. I told you I'd never be your happily-ever-after. I warned you not to take it too seriosly."

"I think you're lying to yourself, Edward. You think you're protecting yourself, but I think you miss out on a lot of great things in life this way. Six months is a long ass time to be fucking the same girl and not develop some sort of fee-…"

He didn't let her finish the sentence; he didn't want to hear it. "You know what, Swan? You're right, I should have ended this months ago, but I didn't, because for a while there the sex was quite satisfying. You were more than willing to spread you legs for me wherever whenever, " he said with a crude tone of voice. "…but that's not the case anymore, now is it? We haven't even done it in over two weeks, so like I said before, what's the point?"

"You're a jerk, Edward," Bella hissed. She didn't know whether to cry or scream, but she knew she didn't want to lose it in front of him and if she stayed there was a risk she might do just that.

"No, I'm being direct, and you are deflecting," he said shaking his head at her. "I know you've been dealing with some heavy stuff related to your mom and how she died... And I know you don't want to hear me say this, but… honestly, I think that maybe you're a bit more messed up than you realize. I think you might be d-…"

"Don't say it!" she warned, her voice taking on a shrill, anxious note. "Don't say another word!"

"Depressed. There, I've said it. I know you hate that word and everything that comes with it, but it's not 'normal' to sleep as much as you do. It's not 'normal' to stuff yourself with food one minute and then puke your guts out the next… it's not 'normal' to lose interest in all the stuff you used to enjoy –your friends, going out, staying in, listening to shitty music, shitty TV shows… getting high, getting off. "

"You're plenty messed up yourself, you fucker!" she wanted to scream at him, but she was so close to crying right now she could feel the cold burn behind her eyes. Instead, she managed a strangled, "Shut up! I fucking HATE you!" as she fumbled to grip her crutches and then promptly began hobbled away from him.

"I was going to offer you a ride home, but… fuck it. I'm just tired of this shit!" he called out after her.

She wanted nothing more than to get home, but there was just no way in hell she'd want to get in a car with him!

"SHUT UP!" she repeated, shouting it in rage this time. She could feel hot tears running down her cold cheeks now… Damnit!

Everything burned—her chest, her leg, her eyes—but she pushed herself to move faster. Her crutches limited her speed and mobility, but thankfully, he didn't follow her.

The walk home felt like a marathon, but sheer determination kept her moving. She didn't stop until she was in the safety of her own bedroom. That's where she broke down - completely, utterly broke down into a disgusting, snot-laden, ugly crying fit.

The weeks and months that followed, Bella didn't have very clear memories of. It was as though a numbness, a cold, deadening blanket had enveloped her brain and was simply refusing to fade away.

She was stumbling around life, trying to act like everything was fine. When it was not.

The thing about secret relationships is that when they end, you're not supposed to be heartbroken.


	62. Chapter 62

_**AN: I know you're all eagerly waiting to hear how the baby girl is doing and also, what Edward's test result will reveal and what his reaction will be. Two more chapters in present time (this one included, so one more after this) before we get there.**_

 _ **.**_

.

 **Chapter 62**

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-=[Isabelle Higginbotham, the present ]=-

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Heading into Forks and the Newton's a second time wasn't any easier than it had been the first time around.

It was late, nearing the end of the day, because Bella still wasn't brave enough to do this at an hour when the rest of the town was bustling with activity.

The sun had almost fully descended behind the tree-tops and the darkness, that was engulfing the sky. As comforting as the dark shadows felt they still didn't fully take away the feeling of being watched.

Locking the car, Bella pulled up the hood of her jacket and shoved her hands deep down in her pockets. After a quick glance around, she started making her way across the parking lot.

"You're back!" Jessica said, looking up from the cash register as Bella stepped through the doors to the store, roughly ten minutes to closing time. "Two days in a row, I'm surprised - pleasantly surprised, of course- but to what do I owe the pleasure? Did you forget something?" she fired off in quick succession.

"No, I was in the neighborhood, running some errands, getting some things," Bella explained, somewhat lamely, hoping Jess would not ask about these supposed 'errands'.

"I figured I should stop by and say hi…" she continued. "So, you know, hi, how's your day been, what's new?" The words sounded fake, even to Bella's own ear.

"Oh," Jess looked taken aback at first, then nodded at her with a smile. "That's nice of you. My day has been pretty good… except, this stupid cash register seems to have crashed again... But that's pretty standard. It happens every three days or so … Apart from that, it's all good. What about you? Have you recovered from yesterday's events?"

"Yesterday's what?" Bella asked, feeling her stomach flip-flop slightly.

"Seeing Cullen, yesterday. You don't have to pretend with me that it didn't affect you, B."

"Oh, that," Bella said, trying to sound as nonchalant as she could."Not much to recover from… It was a surprise, sure, but not a shocking one. I knew his parents kept the house. I knew coming here that there was a risk I'd run into one of them at one point or another. It's no big deal though."

"Okay, if you say so." Jess sounded doubtful, but didn't argue."Speaking of running into people, have you seen Sue yet? I heard she's back from Hawaii. How is she taking all this? She must be devastated."

"Uhm… yeah, I've been texting a bit with Leah and from what I have gathered, Sue is pretty upset," Bella replied, thankful for the change in subject, but at the same time not exactly looking forward to where this was heading."She flew in late last night, arrived about two in the morning, I believe. So I'm assuming she'll spend the day resting and unpacking, but I'm sure I'll hear from her tonight."

"Sorry, should I not have brought her up? You DO like Sue, right?" Jess asked, perhaps misinterpreting Bella's somewhat hesitant answer.

"I have no problem with my father's relationship with Sue," was Bella's diplomatic answer.

"They sure took their time making it official. I always figured they were worried that you wouldn't be okay with it, or something…"

"They are two grownups, they can do as they wish," Bella responded, knowing that Jess was referring to the fact that Charlie had quite recently moved across the street to become Sue Clearwater's live-in boyfriend - this after many years of beating around the bush.

"I mean, I wasn't all that thrilled about her interest in my dad when I was sixteen, but these days, Sue and I, get along just fine," Bella added truthfully, after giving it some more thought.

"That's nice. I mean, it's a blessing that you have each other for support through this difficult time," Jess nodded. There was a silent pause for a few seconds, before she put on a sympathetic face and continued with, "If I haven't said it already, I'm sorry about your father. I heard it was a massive heart attack and that he was bad off…. I hope he'll recover quickly."

"Thank you, Jessica," Bella replied bowing her head, not sure what else to say. There was no recovery in the cards for Charlie Swan, but Bella wasn't quite ready to make that known yet, especially not to someone like Jessica Stan-… Newton. Because then the whole town would know within a day or two...

"I understand if this is hard on you-…" Jessica started saying, but Bella interrupted her with, "It is, but it's even harder on Sue. She feels guilty for leaving Forks for Hawaii and for not being home with Charlie when it happened, you know…"

"Poor thing… Isn't Leah's baby like due any day now? And it's her first, so it's only natural that she'd want her mother by her side and of course Sue dropped everything to go there and support her."

"There was no way Sue could have known he'd have a heart attack," Bella nodded. "Clark, that's Leah's husband, had to go on a business trip and Leah didn't feel comfortable being on her own this late in her pregnancy. She's on bedrest because her blood pressure is sky high. I don't blame Sue for wanting to be with her daughter. Besides, who wouldn't drop everything to spend a couple of weeks in Hawaii this time of year?"

"True, I'd love a vacation some place warm and sunny, right about now," Jess agreed with a wishful sigh. "Tell Sue, not to be too hard on herself next time you see her. Alright."

"I will," Bella nodded. "Like I said, I'll probably hear from her tonight. I've put her on the list to visit Charlie tomorrow. She'll probably want some privacy, so I wasn't planning on tagging along for that… but I'm sure I'll see her afterwards." It was unavoidable… really. Sooner or later she would have to sit down with Sue and talk about Charlie…. and the future and what their next step should be.

"Oh… she needs your permission to visit him? I didn't realize… Is this because they aren't… like married?"

"Yeah, I know it sounds stupid but that's the hospital rules so we have to follow and abide that."

Actually, in hindsight it was a bit tragic that Charlie and Sue had waited as long as they did before making their romance official. They'd talked about maybe getting married somewhere down the line…but as far as Bella knew, there had been no wedding plans in the immediate future. The timing had simply never been right, this mostly due to her father's financial situation. Charlie's house had been listed off and on for what felt like ages. It took several hefty price reductions before it finally sold. What little money he made on the house wasn't nearly enough to get him out of debt. No one wants to enter a marriage with that kind of baggage.

"What about common law marriage? Isn't that a thing?" Jessica asked.

"Well, I don't think common law marriage is even recognized in this state. However, even if it is, I'm not sure it would be applicable…as they only just moved in together, but I'm no expert."

Sue had undoubtedly been a lot closer to Charlie in recent years than Bella. However, Bella was still technically the one that had to make the final decision regarding the disconnection of her father's life-support machines. When you can't make health care decisions for yourself, someone else has to step in to make those decisions for you. As unfair as it may seem, Bella had more to say on the matter than Sue. It was the direct consequence of Charlie and Sue's decision not to make their relationship official in the legal sense. Every decision has a price – even those made with careful thought and consideration.

"Oh, this all reminds me…" Jess suddenly exclaimed. "I've been meaning to ask you to pass along our get well wishes to Bree. If you get to see her again in the next few days, I mean… I wanted to visit her in person, but I've been told that wouldn't be appropriate… I wrote a card, hoping Mike could give it to Embry so that he could pass on to her. Unfortunately, Mike hasn't had time to go out to the Tanner's place lately though… Anyway, can you please tell her that we're thing of her and that we hope she gets all the rest and care she needs. She's welcome back here whenever she feels up for it, but that there is no rush. Her spot will not be given to anyone else."

"I'll tell her that," Bella nodded, all the while thinking it was a bit odd that Jess didn't seem to know her husband had the same access to Bree as Bella did. Oh, well… maybe it was wise of Mike to guard his words a bit around his wife…

"Actually, when we spoke about Bree yesterday, there was a few things I forgot to ask," Bella continued, taking advantage of the change in topic.

"Oh, okay. I still got a few minutes, before it's time to close this place up and head on home, so ask away…"

"I wanted to ask you about Jane. That her name, right? The high school girl you've got working here."

"Yeah, that's Jane Pagan. What about her?"

"How old is she exactly? Seventeen?…eighteen?"

"As a matter of fact she turned eighteen earlier this year. Why are you asking?"

Because if she's eighteen, no parental approval would be needed to approach the girl for a brief chat… Bella didn't say that aloud though, instead she said, "I'm asking because Bree doesn't seem to have many female friends her own age… So, I was just wondering, if you think Jane is someone Bree confide in, you know girl talk-wise."

"They do get along quite well, but I'm not sure how much they actually, TALK-talk. When they communicate it's usually through single sentences on Post-It Notes. You could always ask Jane about this in person though…"

"She isn't here right now by any chance, is she?" Bella asked, looking around the empty store.

"No, I'm afraid not. She was supposed to work tonight, but Mike's planning a taking her with him on one of his hikes tomorrow, so he asked me to give her the evening off.

"Mike's into hiking? Really? I didn't know that." She must have heard that one wrong… Mike wasn't an outdoorsy person. Did he even know how to read a map? What was it he'd said about his fishing trips with Embry - an excuse to get out of the house for a bit- or something like that…

"He is." Jess answered with a smile. "Mike has been arranging guided, 'beginner' hikes for the tourist for a couple of years now. You could say it's our pension plan - a side business of sorts," she went on explaining. "Mike usually takes on the guide role himself, but he often takes the girls along with him for backup. They help him keep track of everyone, to make sure no one in the group wanders off, or get's left behind."

"Oh, I see… How big groups are we talking about? That sounds like a big responsibility for two teenage girls."

It also sounded a bit odd. She couldn't imagine it being all that difficult to find a well-organized tour with a guide far more suitable than Mike Newton. Especially, given how close they were to the Olympic National Park.

"Never more than ten people at the time, but usually the groups are much smaller than that," Jess answered. "Jane is actually really good with the tourists. She's verry knowledgeable about the forest and its animals. Mike says Bree seems to enjoy it too, or maybe it's the change of scenery she likes. Exercise and fresh air is always good, you know..."

"Eh, sure... "

"Mike usually lets her bring her dog. That dog has an excellent sense of direction, apparently. She'd never get lost in the woods. Also, it never hurts to have more than one dog with you to warn you when moving in bear country."

"I suppose that is true," Bella nodded, all the while wondering what other dogs she was talking about, because Mike himself had told her he wasn't a dog person. Then, she thought of something else, "Wait, Bree's broken arm… Mike said she took a nasty fall and that he was there to see it happen. Did that happen in the woods during one of his hikes?"

"Yes, they were just coming back from a hike – they had maybe ten, fifteen, minutes walking left to get to the cars when it happened. It was before the summer, I don't remember the exact date, but the weather was unsteady as it so often is that time of year. They got caught in a heavy downpour. They upped their pace to get out of the rain faster and I guess the path they were walking on got a bit slippery…"

"So Bree fell?"

"Yeah, Bree lost her footing and tumbled down a steep hill. Poor thing broke her arm and had to get it x-rayed and put in plaster. She also had bruises all over her left side, hip and outer thigh. She reminds me a bit of you, actually…You know, accident prone - always falling over and hurting herself."

"Jess, I have to ask you something quite serious. Have you seen bruises like that on her before or after this incident? When we spoke last time, you hinted that you knew Bree was having issues on the home front. Can you tell me more about that?"

"Wait a minute! I never said THAT," she objected, shaking her head. "I know why you're asking and I want to help, really I do, but making empty accusations in this town is not advisable. Honestly, I've seen nothing that proves anything-... "

"You said that was why you hired her," Bella tried again. "You said you knew she was having problems and that you wanted to help her."

"No, I said I thought the girl might benefit from having positive female role models around her, that's all. Sorry, I didn't mean to mislead you, or anything."

"That's okay," Bella said, heaving an internal sigh. "I'm going to leave you my phone number. Please, feel free to contact me if there is anything you think I should know, or… you know, if anything out of the ordinary occurs... anything..."

She grabbed the ballpoint pen attached to the cash register with a ball chain cord and jotted down her number on a scrap of paper she found on the counter.

"Here take this," she said handing it over to Jess. "Also, do you think you could text me next time Jane comes in?"

"Sure, I can do that," Jess agreed, pocketing the scrap of paper."You know what, can I suggest something? There is this other person I think you should speak to. Bree has another friend, a boy that often picks her up after her shifts…."

"Oh, Riley you mean? Riley Biers?"

"Is that his name?" Jess sounded surprised. "I thought it was something beginning with a 'L'? She always greets him by signing the letter 'L'."

"Ah… no. Then it's probably Liam you've seen her with. Liam and Riley are brothers."

"You're right. Now that I think of it, there are definitely two of them and they are definitely brothers - same brown hair and eyes. In the beginning the one picking her up came on a bike, and they'd ride home together. Lately, there's been a car involved, I assume that's the older brother - Liam was it? "

"Yes, Liam's nineteen, he's got a driver's license," Bella said, nodding slowly. "I didn't know he'd gotten involved in picking her up after her shifts. Is this a new thing? And when you say often, how often are we talking about?"

"I'm not sure… but I don't think she's was without a ride home more than a handful of times all summer."

"Oh, really. That's… nice."

"Yeah, it's really sweet. This guy's got a trunk-mounted bike rack on his car and everything."

Just then a car horn sounded loudly out on the street. Jess clapped her hands together and sprung into action.

"Speaking of rides, that's my cue to get the shop closed up and get out of here," she said as she locked the cash register and pocketed the key.

"Is that Mike?"

"Yup, why don't you head on out and say hello," she suggested as she came around the counter and more or less ushered Bella towards the door. "Tell him I'll be with him in a second."

"Alright," Bella agreed, looking out at the dark and mostly empty parking lot. She spotted Mike's police cruiser easily enough, as he'd parked it next to her own car and left his engine running.

"Bye Jess. I'll be waiting to hear from you."

Jessica started to say something, but Mike honked the horn again, so she simply nodded and made a phone gesture with her pinky and thumb.

.

...

.

Mike rolled down his window as Bella neared, raising one eyebrow and forming a crooked smile.

"Arizona, just the girl I was looking for! This saves me a phone call."

"Hi, Mike. What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to check in with you – a status report, if you will," he answered, motioning for her to come closer. "How is it going? Are you planning on seeing Bree again tomorrow?" He pushed the button to roll the window down even further.

"Yes, I'll see her tomorrow for sure. As I told you last time we spoke, she still hasn't opened up much. I'll keep trying though."

"Okay, well it's been a couple of days now and I'm not sure how much longer we can keep stalling… I hate to put pressure on you, but we're running out of time here. What is your preliminary verdict, do you think it will be okay to send this girl home with her dad? "

"Gee Mike, what do expect me to say here? Evidence or no evidence, would you send your kid there?"

"Come on, you know that's not how it works. Without proofs, or strong indications that something is wrong, we can't interfere."

"Sorry, you're right. That was unprofessional of me," Bella backtracked. "You'll get your answer, as soon as I've spoken to the new case worker from social services. I've got a meeting scheduled the day after tomorrow. So… I guess, I'm asking for two more days here… Is that okay? Can you make that happen?"

"I don't know. I'll have to check with the chief," Mike said, drumming his fingers against the door.

"Please, Mike," she begged. She hated begging. "Please."

"You're lucky I've always had a soft spot for you," Mike responded and laughed when Bella took a step back.

"Relax, I just meant that I'll see what we can do. Alright. We've got the girl's doctor on our side, so if all else fails, we can have the girl come down with a fever… I'm sure we can think of something that to keep her in that hospital bed a day or two longer."

"Thanks Mike. " Bella said awkwardly, without knowing what else to say. She wanted to just get in her car and drive away.

"So Biers," Mike suddenly said, breaking the silence. "You still want to speak with that kid, Riley, right? "

"Very much so," she nodded. More so than ever, actually… she didn't say that aloud, though.

"I'll have another go with Mrs. Biers first thing in the morning. I'll get in touch with you if she says 'yes'."

"Okay." Bella fumbled in her pocket for her keys. "Hopefully, I'll see you tomorrow then." Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Jessica stepping out into the parking lot.

Bella made a move to step over to her own car, but then a thought struck her. "Hey Mike, how come your wife doesn't know you've been visiting Bree at the hospital?"

"Huh?" He sounded perplexed. "What do you mean? I'm pretty sure she knows… Doesn't she?"

"No, I don't think she does? And, also, she doesn't seem to know we were out on the Tanner farm the other day… Why is that?"

Jessica was close now, almost within hearing distance.

"No particular reason. I try not to bore her with talk about work, is all... It's not like it's a secret or anything-…"

This was when Jessica decided to cut in, asking, "What's this I hear about a secret?"

"Oh, there you are, sweetheart," Mike greeted her, sounding a bit too cheery. "We were just talking high school memories and stuff and-.."

"Don't sweetheart me… Come on, what secret?!"

"I was just saying that... eh... it was no secret that little Miss Arizona here, had us all fooled thinking she was so hip and cool when she first moved here. You know, her being a big city girl and all…"

"No, that's not what you were talking about. I heard you say something about work!" Jess interrupted him. "Remember our agreement, Mike. No secrets. Spit it out! Or you'll be back on the couch tonight..."

Taking this as her cue to leave, Bella slipped away. That was one argument she didn't not want to be part of…

.

…

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	63. Chapter 63

_**AN: Sorry, it's taken me a while to get this written. It may be a bit dull, but I promise the next one will have some action as Edward is about to get the DNA test results he's been waiting for.**_

 _ **.**_

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 **.**

 **-=[Isabelle Higginbotham, the present ]=-**

 **Chapter - 63**

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"I'm not the police. But I am working with them to help your friend Bree."

Bella studied the irritated, defiant teenager before her – Riley Biers.  
True to his word, Mike had finally managed to arrange for Bella to meet they boy and his mother. Unfortunately though, at the present moment Riley looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. Perhaps the boy was a morning person, or perhaps he simply was not interested in talking to her at all.

"Why would I want to talk to you?" he said, eyes darting anywhere but on the person in front of him.

"Because, I'm someone you can trust," Bella suggested patiently, even though she was beginning to feel a bit pressed for time.

She had showed up at the Briers household at seven on the dot, per Mike's instructions. Sandra Biers, Riley's mother, had ushered her inside, letting her know that they had about fifteen minutes to spare before they had to leave for school and work. So that was the timeframe she had to work with here.

"And because you care about Bree," Bella added when she got no response, save for an unimpressed glare.

"I do, but there is nothing I can say that would help her."

"You sure about that, Riley?"

He didn't reply.

The only answers she'd gotten out of young Riley so far had been clipped and short ones. Yes, he did know Bree Tanner. Yes, they were friends. Yes, he would typically see her every day in school and he did spend time with her outside of school on a somewhat regular basis.

Thankfully, Sandra Biers had stepped in and volunteered some additional information. For instance she'd explained that both her sons were born in Forks and had lived there all their lives, same as Bree, but that the two families had never moved in the same social circles. The Tanners had a bit of a reputation for being rather unsociable, and not mixing well with others. Also, old man Tanner's criminal past tended to keep people away.

As it so happened, Riley had befriended Bree three years ago, when he was transferred to Ridgewood Middle School, after moving house following his parent's divorce. Initially his parents had been less than thrilled by this development, but Sandra admitted that these days she was rather pleased that her son had found a friend like Bree Tanner. Not just because the girl did excellent in school, but mostly because young Bree had several outdoorsy interests.

"My son spends way too much time on his computer, if you ask me," Sandra informed Bella conspiratorially. "He has his gaming friends, who he plays with almost every night, but he needs to get out more. He'd rarely set foot outside his beloved room if it wasn't for that girl and her dog. She's gotten him into activities like mountain-biking and dog trekking which is great!"

In typical teenage fashion, Riley rolled his eyes at his mother. "Biking is how we get around, it's not a hobby, it's a necessity. And I'm not sure I'd call what Bree does 'trekking '. She just likes going places where no other people would think of going. Sometimes I tag along, but only when the weather is nice – which it isn't very often. Fresh air is overrated if you ask me…"

"It's good to have different friends to do different things with. Honestly, I'm not much of an outdoor person either," Bella admitted with a smile, before deciding it was time to bring up the all-important girlfriend/boyfriend question. "Actually, I've heard you and Bree might be more than just friends. Is it true that she is your girlfriend, Riley?"

"Well, if you heard it, it must be true, right." Riley shrugged, drumming his fingers on the table.

"So… you go on dates and hold hands and do couple-y things like that?"

"Couple-y things?! Come on… what you really want to know is what everyone else been asking - Have you forced yourself on her, touched her against her will, pressured her into having sex?" His voice rose higher and higer in pitch until it squeaked at the last word.

"I understand if this is personal," Bella said. She had to remind herself that the person before her was a teenager and probably not quite as confident and sure of himself as he'd like other people to think he was. "I don't mean to pry, but -..."

"So don't!" he interrupted her. "If you don't want to pry, then don't ask. The fact that I wasn't with her the night she got hurt should be answer enough… But it's like nothing I say matters. People are still drawing their own conclusions... "

"Riley!" his mother reprimanded him. "If you want to be taken seriously, lose the attitude!"

She then turned to Bella. "Believe me, I've tried to get to the bottom of this, but he gets very defensive whenever the subject comes up. "

"That's because it's none of anybody's business," the boy snapped.

"I'm your mother. When the police come knocking on my door, asking about your relations with that girl, it becomes my business. "

"Whatever," he responded, flippantly. "I haven't done anything wrong. I shouldn't have to answer all these questions."The boy pointedly clamped his mouth shut and glared up at his mother.

"I know you haven't done anything wrong and I realize this topic might be hard to talk about in front of a parent." Sandra stood and put her hand on her son's shoulder and said, "That's why I'm going to remove myself from this conversation for now. I'll be in the kitchen packing our lunches if you need me."

Before leaving the room, Sandra reminded her son that the neighbor's kids, Greg and Ernie, would be over shortly. Apparently the three of them biked to school together in the mornings. Then she turned and mouthed 'good luck,' to Bella before walking out through the door.

Truthfully, Bella wasn't sure luck would get her very far. Riley seemed dead set on not speaking to her and she wasn't particularly optimistic about how this all would play out.

How could she change his mind? Would he even be willing to listen to her?

Bella didn't have to wait long to find out. The second they were alone, Riley turned in his seat, facing her fully… and then… and then his hands were moving and she realized he was signing something.

And… Oh. Of course, the boy had picked up a fair bit of sign language from Bree over the years. Judging by the way he went about it, he seemed to know the hand alphabet by heart at the very least. He also seemed fully aware that Bella would have no trouble understanding him, which she took to mean that big brother Liam had told Riley all about their chance encounter at the school the other day. Interesting…

Speaking of interesting, by now Riley had spelled out the letters to form the words, 'Stop' and 'interfering'.

 _Stop interfering?  
_

Bella signed the question 'why?' back to him, but she also cleared her voice and said, "So… Riley, I've heard you spent your summer break in Florida," in case the boy's mother could still hear them.

It didn't escape her notice that Sandra had left the door slightly ajar. She figured Riley wasn't using sign language just for the fun of it. Chances were he had something he wanted to say that he didn't want his mother to overhear.

"I always go see my father on our breaks. I got back two days before school started," he spoke, quickly and awkwardly, his voice a bit too loud.

He was signing something again. "It will hurt her more," was what he spelled out this time, followed by "she will be punished."

"In what way?" Bella signed back.

"Just stop," he repeated. The he shook his head indicating that he didn't have anything else to say on the subject.

Alright…. at least he was communicating, which is a big improvement from, well, not saying anything at all.

"I spoke to your brother Liam the other day," she said aloud, picking up the conversation again. "I asked him what he thinks…. about Bree and what she has been going through. Did he tell you about that?" she added, watching the boy's head snap up and his eyes narrow at her words.

In many ways, Riley looked a lot like his older brother. Not identical, but close. His hair was lighter and longer than Liam's and his face was thinner, more boyish. They also seemed to share some of the same mannerism. Bella hadn't even seen them interact yet, but she could already tell that the two brothers had a close relationship.

"He said you came by school and that you had questions about Bree… and stuff," Riley answered, his voice a bit guarded.

He seemed bored, but also… tense? She was pretty sure his knee was bouncing underneath the table.

"I ran into your brother when I went over there to meet Miss Emily. I wasn't aware Liam's the teacher aide assigned to assist Bree until I saw him there. He spoke very highly of your friend. It's great that Bree has the two of you to look out for her. I've heard Liam sometimes picks her up with his car after her shif-..."

"Geez, this again… you're no better than those other goons, "Riley interrupted her, somewhat impatiently. "Yes, Liam is a saint. He does things like that all the time… He brings home stray animals, escorts old ladies over the street, helps tourists with direction etc… For some reason, he didn't trust that Bree could ride her bike with one arm. Long story short, she injured her arm and had a plaster on it for a bit. That was ages ago though, her arm's all good now. His chauffeur services are no longer needed."

"I see. Please do tell, what other goons were you comparing me to?"

"Those stupid, brainless cops that came here, asking a bunch of irrelevant, nonsense questions," was what he said aloud, but what he signed was something else entirely. "If the truth comes out, she'll have no one."

"What truth?" Bella signed to the boy, to which he responded by signing, "Not telling."

"Who hurt her? Someone she knows and trusted?" she tried, but he just shrugged his shoulders.

Either he didn't know, or didn't want to answer, Bella had no clue to tell the difference.

Ditching the sign language for the time being, she cleared her throat and asked, "Riley, do you know why Bree is in hospital?"

"Everyone knows," he answered, giving her a duh look, before continuing. "The whole town is talking about how she's been assaulted and that the police think…they think she was raped."

His knee was still bouncing, but other than that, he didn't show any other emotion.

"That's one of several theories they are looking at, yes. No one knows what, exactly, happened to her, or who's responsible for it. She doesn't want to talk about it and I-…"

"If she isn't talking, then I sure as hell ain't gonna say anything," Riley said, cutting her off. "I've already told you, nothing I say or do can help her. It's not like I've seen her, or spoken to her since all his happened anyway."

"But you saw her that afternoon, didn't you? Miss Emily said you and Liam took her to the grocery store. Did you drop her off at home afterwards?"

"No, we dropped her off in the middle of nowhere and made her walk home in the rain," Riley said with as much sarcasm as he could fit in that one sentence. "Why do you ask things you already know the answer to?"

"Bear with me, please. What time did you drop her off? Do you remember?"

"I don't know… sometime late afternoon, early evening. We had strict orders to be home on time for dinner that day and we usually eat around six thirty. Mom had her new boyfriend over, so me and Li were stuck playing happy family with them all night. It was beyond boring… I'm telling you, after dessert it was board games galore for hours upon hours."

"Did Bree text you at all that evening?"

His eyes narrowed to slits. "Who said that? Not Liam. Because he wouldn't know."

"No, I've just heard that she's often on her phone, texting … like in general, which makes sense I suppose. It's an excellent way for her to communicate." Bella responded. "So, she DID text you that night?"

"I sent her something about mom's loser boyfriend smelling like stinky French cheese. She responded with an emoji of a skunk holding its nose, but that's the extent of it... and that was pretty early in, before the board games were brought out even. I didn't hear anything else from her after that and I didn't know anything was wrong until the police came here knocking on our door the following day."

"I see. There should be a time stamp on the message. Do you mind showing me your phone?" Bella started asking, but was interrupted when Sandra shouted, "Riley, two more minutes then we have to leave. Greg and Ernie are already here."

"Okay!" he shouted back, turning to Bella. "I'm not showing you my phone, but you I suppose I can allow one more question. It's the last one, so make it a good one."

She bit her bottom lip for a brief moment, and then after a quick deliberation she asked, "How does she feel about her brothers? Does she talk about them?"

"Oh, I don't know… she rarely mentions them… rarely sees them I think. When she's at home, she mostly stays cooped up in her room." Riley responded. He said it casually, like it was no big deal, but Bella could tell he was choosing his words very carefully. "Don't get me wrong, she is loyal AF and will defend her family to a fault, but at the same time-…"

"She likes trekking and going places where no-one else can bother her," Bella finished the sentence for him. "And also, she got herself a job, so that she wouldn't have to go straight home after school," she added, feeling a piece of the puzzle falling into place. "Honestly, it seems to me, home is the last place she wants to be."

"Wha-… No, I didn't say that," Riley objected.

"No, I know. It was just an observation." As she spoke, she added in sign language, "Answer me this, is she not safe at home?"

He responded by signing 'I can't' and 'they'll both be dead, if the tru-…" He stopped signing when the door flew open and his mother appeared with a backpack in hand.

"Sorry for interrupting, but the kids need to leave now or they'll be late for school."

Realizing she'd run out of time, Bella thanked them both for their trouble and gave Riley a note with her phone number in case he wanted to talk further.

.

….

.

Bella bid her goodbye to the Biers and started walking towards her car. She had a bit of a walk ahead of her as she had deliberately parked a fair distance outside the quiet residential area that was home to approximately one third of Forks population.

If anyone saw and recognized the plates of her rental car, there was no way they could work out for sure who she'd been visiting. Not that it was a secret or anything; she just didn't feel like advertizing her whereabouts. And no, it wasn't out of fear of running into Edward again…. or well, that wasn't the only reason anyway... Dammit, this stupid town was making her paranoid!

She walked a minute or two in silence, with her head down and eyes on the ground in front of her. She continued in this manner until she came upon a group of teenage boys blocking the sidewalk with their bicycles, backpacks and personal belongings.

As she sidestepped them, she came to realize that this was none other than Riley and his two friends. She gave him a half-wave in acknowledgement, earning herself nod in return.

What happened next surprised her, though perhaps it shouldn't have. The three boys picked up their bikes and fell into a step right behind her. It almost seemed as though they'd been waiting for her, for some reason, which was… odd.

She heard them talking amongst themselves, laughing and sniggering quietly behind her back. Try as she might, she couldn't quite shake the feeling they were talking about her…. or perhaps, conspiring to play a prank on her... or something...

As time went on, their voices grew muffled, perhaps purposefully so. Certain words like 'trial' and 'pond' were audible above the noise of wind gusts and passing traffic… So yeah, her suspicions were confirmed, they were definitely talking about her and connecting all sorts of dots.

Her initial reaction was to hurry her steps and try to shake them off, but then she thought better of it. There was a slight chance Riley was following her because he had something of value to add to their previous conversation now that his mother wasn't around monitoring his every move. Wishful thinking, perhaps, but you never know…

Her car came into her line of vision and she knew that if she was going to confront him, it was now or never.

"Can I help you with something?" was what she asked as she turned around to face them. Her question was met with sly grins and evasive shrugs.

"Okay, I take your silence to mean 'no'."

With calm she didn't know she possessed, she added, "Riley, it was nice meeting you, but this is where we part ways. My car is this way and I believe your school is in the opposite direction."

More snickering ensued , but no one said anything.

"Unless, of course, one of you have something you want to tell me…" She trailed off, letting her eyes sweep over the young boys one at a time.

Riley was the one who finally spoke up. "Liam was right. You're really her—aren't you?"

"Her who?"

Bella's stomach tightened. She had her hand in her coat pocket, scrambling for her car keys, preparing to make a hasty retreat, if this conversation were to turn ugly. It wouldn't turn ugly though… she wouldn't let it. After all, they were just kids, and she was a full-grown adult.

"You're that Swan girl," Riley continued. "Bella Swan, the one who killed her own baby and claimed not to remember a thing afterwards. "

As always hearing the words spoken aloud hit her hard.

"Uhm, no," she managed to force out from around the lump in her throat. "I'm afraid you're misinformed."

"But you ARE her," Riley insisted. "Liam says, Miss Emily swears on it."

"Everyone knows about the trial, everyone knows what happened," one of the other teenage boys cut in. "My aunt has saved all the newspaper clippings."

Bella knew her face must have turned pale, but she tried to put on an air of dignified firmness, "Just because something makes the newspapers doesn't make it true."

That did it. Suddenly a barrage of insults was hurtled her way.

 _"We know what's true and what's not... You're a baby-killer, that's what you are!"_

 _"You're a psycho. It's pretty stupid coming back to this town!"_

 _"You'll always have blood on your hands. Go back to where you came from!"_

 _"Baby-killer!"_

 _"Murderer!"_

'They are just kids,' she reminded herself, trying to get around the cracking feeling that happened inside her chest whenever she thought about the past. 'They are wrong and obviously have no idea what they were talking about.'

She wanted to tell them off, scream 'YOU'RE WRONG' at them at the top of her lungs, but knew that would just add fuel to the fire. Instead, she just stood there impassively, waiting for the poisonous hubbub to die down.

Honestly, she'd thought she could handle it. The accusations were just empty words and she'd heard them all before… said them to her own reflection in the bathroom mirror once or twice even… She wasn't sure why, but for some reason she felt more vulnerable then she had in months. It had to be the current location that did it… She should have never come back!

Bella felt the tears before she knew what was happening; she didn't sniffle or blubber, she merely cried silently, stoically, accepting the warm streaks down her cheeks.

So much for being the adult in this situation!

At least this sudden display of emotions was enough to send the boys running for their bikes…

Last thing she heard of them, before they speeded off, was Riley shouting at her. "I know you think you're helping. But you're not. Go back to where you came from and don't return!"

If she had not still been crying she would have laughed. Was this fourteen year old kid really trying to run her out of town? Like seriously?!

She made it inside the safety of her car, but she couldn't put the key in the ignition. Her hands were shaking too badly.

She wasn't sure how long exactly she sat there waiting for the trembles to cease –five minutes, ten…. After a while though, she started to take notice of her surroundings again.

A school bus drove by… then a large truck and two normal-sized vehicles, then a truck again… Since when was road so busy?

She was getting ready to pull into traffic again, when she saw yet another car approaching in the review mirror. She wasn't positive, but it looked vaguely familiar, like she'd seen that car before.

Dammit, there was that paranoia again!

.

…

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	64. Chapter 64

_**A/N: Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it and to those that don't, then Happy Holidays. If you don't celebrate any holidays then hope have a nice few days!**_

 _ **As for this chapter… sorry if some of the legal issues are off, I'm no lawyer!**_

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*-=[The Past - Isabella Swan, 17 y.o]=-*

*64*

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"A decision on possible charges would be made based on the evidence and the likelihood of conviction," Carlisle said to his wife, adjusting his glasses. "I don't think they are quite there yet."

It was lunchtime and they were currently seated in his office, having just shared a meal of fish tacos and quesadillas together.

He had spent his morning in an operating room performing a laparoscopic hernia repair, so the sight of his wife waiting for him afterwards with a takeout bag in hand, had been a pleasant one. Turns out she wasn't there to see him though. Or well, the lunch she'd brought was definitely intended for him, but she had another reason for showing up at his workplace on this particular day… That reason was Charlie Swan, who'd left a message on her phone, asking for a meeting between the tree of them – Carlisle, Esme and Charlie- at the hospital, that very afternoon.

"Honestly, I don't think Charlie is doing this so that we can discuss legal options," Carlisle added, shoving the empty boxes and what little remained of their meal into the nearby trashcan underneath his desk. "I believe the investigation is still in early stages. The autopsy was just completed the other day and the result hasn't even been made public yet."

"He is the Chief of Police though. He might know things, we don't," his wife pointed out. "Like the cause of death…"

They were both aware that a lot was riding on that autopsy and whether or not the findings could be used to determine when and how the baby had died.

"Indeed, Esme you are right." Carlisle hesitated a second, before adding, "Even if this goes Isabella's way - which I sincerely hope it does- even if it can be proved without a doubt that the first baby, the little boy, was a stillborn, there are still a lot of question marks surrounding what happened with Baby X."

It was not an easy topic to discuss, but not one that could be ignored either. Because while the second baby, the little girl referred to as Baby X, was still miraculously still alive, it didn't change the fact that someone had purposely placed that baby in a plastic bag that had been sealed shut with duct tape.

"Question marks? Why she was separated from her mother, you mean. Yes, I'm aware," Emse replied solemnly.

"I know you want to believe the best in people, and there's nothing wrong with that." Carlisle reached down and took his wife's hand in his.

She was shaking her head. "What we do know is that the little girl was suffering from respiratory distress syndrome. Until Isabella decides to speak up for herself, I choose to believe that someone was trying to rush that baby into town to get help. "

"That is possible, yes. But-…."

"I also choose to believe that the baby's breathing issues got progressively more acute to the point where lips and face turned blue, the body temperature dropped and noise and movements stilled. I choose to believe she was mistakenly assumed to be dead when she was not."

"Again, that is possible. However, you need to prepare yourself that this could very well end up in court. According to Peter there are several quite damning aspects in all of this, aspects that could hurt Isabella's chances of avoiding a trial – and he's the best lawyer around so he should know what he's talking about."

"I'm well aware that Isabella could face neglect charges for not seeking medical attention and failure to report a death."

"Yes, at the very least, but that's not all…."

"It's not?"

"There is also disrespectful handling of the remains, as well as tampering with evidence… And child endangerment for jeopardizing the life and health of the baby girl," Carlisle explained softly.

"All of those can be applied on this 'believed-second-person' at the birth scene too," his wife pointed out bleakly.

Her thoughts were obviously going to Edward and what implications a positive paternity test would bring forth. Because while Edward tried to act as though he was dead sure he was not the father of those two babies, his parents were not buying the act. It was quite easy to tell that underneath Edward's hard exterior, there was a frightened boy, reeling with nerves and doubt.

"Do you think that's what Charlie wants to discuss with us? That he's going to ask us to put more pressure on Edward to get to the bottom of this, or ask for our permission to approach him himself? "

"Yes," Carlisle stated simply. "Either that, or he's going to ask you for your professional opinion on Isabella. She still isn't talking about what happened to her. That girl may think it's in her best interest to keep quiet, but-..."

"She needs to name the father of those babies, and she needs to let it be known if she had someone with her when she gave birth to her twins," his wife cut in.

"Any answers she can give would defenately help. At the very least, she needs to start cooperating and listen to the legal advice given to her, or this could end badly. Es, you know her better than anyone on the hospital's staff roster. If anyone can get her to talk, it's you…"

Oh…" Esme brought her hand to her mouth, her voice a whisper, "I did ask Charlie for his permission to visit Isabella, when I drove Alice over to his house the other day."

"You brought Alice to see Charlie Swan?" It was the first he'd heard of this. "When?"

"We were returning some of Isabella's personal belongings from our guest room - some clothes and her bag with toiletries."

"Ah, I see. So let me get this straight -You asked if you could visit Isabella and Charlie responded with a 'no chance in hell' or something to that extent…?"

"Yes and I don't blame him. This was the morning after Edward fessed up and you rushed him to the hospital for the DNA test."

"Alright. Well, Charlie is not stupid. I bet he has come to the conclusion that it couldn't hurt to make that visit happen after all. Isabella needs to start talking, it's as simple as that."

Carlisle offered her hand a reassuring squeeze, before continuing. "Remember, even if he does grant you permission to see her, you don't have to follow through with it. You can tell him you've changed your mind."

"Or that I'd like to wait another day until we have the test result before I get involved." Esme suggested.

As it so happened, the result of Edward's paternity test was expected to arrive that very afternoon. Carlisle had been given the heads up from the lab in Seattle that this was going to be the day with capital D.

F-ing finally! This must go down as the longest wait for a test result in history… or maybe it only felt that way because Carlisle was personally invested in the situation…

"That test result, it really is 100 % happening this afternoon, right? No chance of it dragging out further." Esme asked, as if reading his mind.

"No, it's happening alright. I should have the result on my desk before the workday is over. I've requested to have it delivered in a sealed envelope, so that Edward can open it himself when I get home from work."

"No sneak peaking! Promise!" His wife gave him a stern look.

"Cross my heart-…."

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Chief Swan had arrived.

.

…

.

"This is a remarkably unusual situation," Esme said slowly.

"Charlie, we appreciate that you're taking your time to meet with us," Carlisle continued off from where his wife finished. "However, I believe what you're asking is impossible to determine without several one-on-one sessions and a proper evaluation."

"Could it be true though?" Charlie Swan repeated impatiently. "Could it be that she really, truly did not know she was pregnant?"

"Is that what she is saying?" Esme asked, coming to stand next to her husband. "That she wasn't aware of her condition? Or is it what people around you have been telling you might be the case?"

"She hasn't said much at all about any of this. Whenever I try to ask what happened to her, she shuts down so hard the CIA probably couldn't crack her. She seems to be in complete denial… and I don't know what to make of it."

"Generally speaking, it does happen from time to time. It's rare, but it happens," Carlisle offered."When it comes to unplanned, teen pregnancies, more often than not it's a combination of naivety, denial and repression of what's really happening, rather than purely and truly not knowing."

Esme was nodding along in agreement, adding on, "The phenomenon is believed to be the result of varying degrees of physiological, psychological and social causes depending on the person and the situation."

"What does that even mean? What does it mean for my daughter?"

"It means your daughter will need a physiological evaluation if this goes to court. It also means she'll need lots of therapy, before, during and after a potential trial… and even if it never goes to court, which we all hope it won't, she'll still need it. Sadly it could also mean that even with year's worth of therapy, she might never be able to connect emotionally with her child."

Charlie Swan's shoulders sunk visibly as the truth of Esme's words sunk in."Thank you for being so direct, for not skirting around the truth. And thank you for answers, even though at times I am slow to grasp them."

"I'm sorry, Charlie. There is no easy fix for this." Carlisle said, placing a hand on the man's shoulder.

"She was never a particularly carefree child, from what I remember. Always a'loner-thinking-too-much' kid. I became acutely aware just how withdrawn and detached from everyone and everything she had become, when she first came to live with me. I just never realized it was going to get worse, rather than start getting better."

"Healing never happens overnight. Progress always take time," Carlisle offered.

"I see that now. I thought with the root of the problem being eliminated, things would sort itself out. Her mother offed herself and took her pedophile of a husband with her… A new start in a new town…. proper medication and a good shrink. I honestly thought everything was moving along nicely…"

"A pedo?!" Carlisle mouthed the question to his wife, who answered with a discreet nod. That certainly explained a few things, but it also raised a million questions.

"It has been a long and challenging year for me," Charlie Swan continued, not noticing the silence exchange between the other two. "My comfortable and predictable life got flipped upside down when I became the primary caretaker of this child, this teenager I barely knew and rarely talked to. I mean what do I know about raising kids? And traumatized teenage girl at that…"

"It's been though on the both of you. Your daughter has been through a lot. She was making progress though. I swear she was. I'm not just saying that to save face. Both the will to get better and the dedication to work on her issues were there."

"And it still went straight to hell," Charlie sighed. "This all happened because she went off her meds, didn't it?"

"I believe it's a little more complex than that. I'm sure you remember that we were in the process of cutting down Isabella drug dependency. After a few months, she was completely weaned off and doing rather good. She was working through her issues in a mature and sensible way and everything was going in a positive direction. But then..." her voice trailed off and her eyes darted to her husband.

"But then….what?" Charlie urged her on.

"But then I went on sick leave and I couldn't follow up on Isabella's progress as closely as I would have wanted. I know I referred you to my colleague in Port Angeles, but I should have made sure you really took her there. Naturally, I still saw Isabella over at our house whenever she came by to spend time with Alice. And naturally I did ask her time and time again how things were going and how she was feeling. She always answered that she was doing fine and she did look okay, healthier even with a little more weight on her bones and more color to her face, so I had no reason not to believe her."

"See this is what I'm talking about," Charlie sighed. "She had us all fooled, me too. She was making friends, got herself a job, started eating and sleeping better... I thought she was doing well, but it was probably just a front she put up… On some level I feel I failed as a father."

"On some level I feel I failed Isabella too," Esme admitted. "I couldn't continue our sessions and I think that might have contributed to this-..."

"You were on sick leave for a reason, Es." Carlisle cut in. "You did what you could given the circumstances. There are times in life where you have to put your own health and family first. No one can fault you for needing to make those priorities."

"Ultimately, she was not your responsibility," Charlie said as he rubbed his face with a tired expression on his face. "She was already on a bad path when she got here. If this had not happened something else eventually would. She's becoming too much like her mother - destined to live a restless and disastrous life."

Carlisle made a disagreeing noise in his throat, the sound he would always make when he was about to correct someone. His wife beat him to it though.

"I must object. Regardless of what has happened here, and regardless of what the consequence will be, Isabella will make it through this. No one is ever a lost cause or a hopeless case. On the contrary, your daughter is an intelligent and determined young woman, hell-bent on getting through things on her own and choosing her own path. She needs your unconditional love though, more so now than ever."

"I believe what my wife is trying to say is that your priority right now should be to support your daughter," Carlisle said, crossing his arms over his chest, "Just like ours needs to be to support our Edward in this unexpected situation."

At the mention of Edward's name, Charlie looked like he wanted to say something, but Carlisle continued. "We'll still do what we can to help Isabella, of course, and that goes for the baby as well. No matter what the paternity test shows. In fact, I've been meaning to ask about your health insurance-…"

"Will you speak with Bella?" Charlie interrupted, directing the question to Esme. "You asked if you could and I 'no', but… that was before I knew, that was before." He cut himself short with a shake of his head

"Before you knew what?"

"That she could end up being tried as an adult if she ends up in court..."

"No," Esme gasped. "Is that true? Surely not… Carlisle?"

"Well, maybe…. in a worst-case scenario. I don't know the likelihood of this happening, but Peter Whitlock, our lawyer, did explain to me that the person responsible for placing that baby girl in the dumpster could very well end up being charged with attempted murder, which I believe, is a felony that could lead to sentencing as an adult."

Charlie was nodding. "I refuse to believe she acted alone, or that she was truly the mind behind such a horrible act. In fact, I know my colleagues have secured evidence that there had been at least one other person present at the time of the birth, or at least shortly thereafter. The identity of this person is still unknown though. Bella need to tell us – tell me - what happened, or she could risk ending up in prison."

Once more, Esme looked over at her husband for confirmation. This was even worse than the scenarios they had discussed before Charlie arrived. Then again, that was the very definition of worst case scenario, wasn't it?….

Carlisle was nodding along to what Charlie had just said, adding, "Agreed. If she was threatened or scared into doing something illegal, she needs to speak up about it. Crimes committed under threat of death or serious harm can be defended on the grounds of duress. Her lawyer could build a defense around that."

"The only other defense strategy would be to portray her as mentally unstable, which would have almost as big impact on her future as a prison sentence. Please, will you speak to her?!"

Esme felt put on the spot. "I want to help, really I do, but-…"

"I don't mean to pressure you, but the window for this is limited. I'm not sure there'll be another opportunity like this again."

"What do you mean?"

"There is an arrest warrant pending, which means no warrant has been issued yet, but they are seeking further evidence to strengthen their case.

One of these days, she's going to be released from here and when that happens I can't guarantee she won't end up in a holding cell, or a psych ward."

"They wouldn't move her unless her doctor signs the release papers," Carlisle pointed out. "I spoke with Dr. O'Riordan this morning and she did not mentioned any immediate plans to send Isabella home."

"You don't want to do this because it could implicate your own son, is that it?"

"No, I-" Esme started saying, but Charlie was not done talking yet. "You're afraid Isabella will reveal that your Edward is every bit as responsible for this mess as she is, "Charlie's hand clenched into a fist as if to punch someone with it. "I should have known! That boy of yours has done some incredibly sick and cruel things in the past. He has proven time and time again that he has no conscience, no sense of right or wrong. A bad seed who turned into a rotten tree -…"

This had Carlisle reacting instantly. "Don't go there!" he snapped taking a step towards the other man "Listen Swan, and listen carefully. God knows Edward is not perfect. He has done some rather irate and hurtful things in the past. He is both immature and irresponsible, but he says he did not know about the pregnancy beforehand and only heard about the baby in the dumpster from what was reported in the media the morning after. He says he is innocent and I believe him."

"We believe him," Esme corrected him, before adding, "There is a great possibility that he is the father though, and that puts us in a really unusual and problematic situation here."

"Please, I don't know what else to do, who else to turn to," Charlie pleaded. "You don't have to report back to me how your conversation goes. And no one needs to know about this. We'll keep it off the records. I just need someone to talk some sense into her."

"Alright. Fine…"Esme finally relented. "I'll do it. Just don't expect any miracles."

.

….

.

"Is that a 'no'?"

No response.

"Not very talkative today, are you?" Esme said, as she studied the girl in the hospital bed. "That's fine. Please, nod or shake your head so I know you're listening. That's all I'm asking. I'll be direct with you, Isabella, because much like your father I know you value words that are stripped of pretense."

The girl made a snort-like sound, but she also nodded her head a tiny bit.

"Excellent. So, this thing with you not talking, I can only assume that it is because you're protecting someone. Right?" Esme asked, not expecting a response and not getting one. "Perhaps someone we both know quite well…." she insinuated, but was met with no response. "Or perhaps someone else entirely."

After a few moments of silence, she added, "You know what, there is only one person you should be protecting at this point– yourself! "

She saw the teenager roll her eyes.

"I'm telling you this, Isabella, because the crass reality is, no one – no parent, no lawyer, no doctor - in the world will look out for your interests like you would."

Esme knew she had to be careful here. There were certain sensitive subjects that should not be broached too aggressively. From what Charlie had told them, it was clear that Isabella still refused to acknowledge her pregnancy and the birth of her babies in any way shape or form.

"Have your lawyer explained your options in a way that you understood?"

Bella shrugged.

"I know you're an exceptionally intelligent individual, but sometimes the legal language can be rather obscure." Esme smiled with what she hoped was the right amount of reassurance. "If there is something that seems unclear, ask for an explanation, because it's important that you understand your options."

At this point the girl was scoffing. But then, to Esme's surprise she actually cleared her throat and uttered the word 'okay'.

"Okay? Okay – that's a start. What about the police? I know they've been here and I know you've expressed that you have no wish see them. But have they explained what it is that they want to speak to you about?"

This time the response was immediate. "Yes, I know what they want," Bella said, sounding both bored and irritated. "But I have nothing to tell them."

'Well here goes,' Esme thought to herself . "Alright, then you've probably heard about the case they are investigating. It involves two babies, born prematurely and abandoned shortly after birth. Unfortunately, only one of them is still alive."

The girls face paled almost instantly and a storm of mixed emotions flashed across her face, before she had time to school it into a mask of indifference.

"Whenever a death occurs, the authorities need to be informed – same goes for every child that is born. In this case, no one reported anything. So now the authorities need to pinpoint when, how and why those babies where abandoned."

Esme paused for a second before she continued. "And also, whether or not criminal neglect or abuse was at play."

Again, no verbal response. Bella sat with her head bowed and her fingers tugging at the hospital bracelet on her wrist.

"You are probably familiar with the term 'medical neglect'. It's when a parent or caregiver fails to seek medical care for their child. It becomes a crime when the child's health and wellbeing is compromised," Esme explained as she watched Bella's lips thin and brow furrow. She could tell the girl was wary of what would come of this conversation. The key here was to be factual and to avoid expression of personal opinion.

"Isabella, any sign here that you're listening would be appreciated- shrug your shoulders, shake or nod your head, anything is fine. Please."

Bella dramatically heaved a sigh and tore her eyes away from the bracelet. Esme took that as a cue to continue, "Depending on the situation and the circumstances, failure to seek appropriate prenatal care could also fall under medical neglect. When pregnant, you have a responsibility to take care of the pregnancy and the baby."

She was met with more silence.

"Unplanned pregnancies happen all the time, to women of all ages, all over the world. Not everyone has a great support system and some of these pregnancies will lead to abortion, adoption, or in some rare cases, newborn abandonment. Of course, there are many happy sunshine stories out there too and-" Esme cut herself short when she thought she heard a choked kind of gasp.

"Did you say something?"

"You got the wrong person." Bella's response was clipped, and almost whispered.

"The wrong person?"

"It's not me you should be telling this to," she said in a hiss between clenched teeth, as if warning Esme to back off the subject. "I was not, nor have I ever been, pregnant."

"All the evidence points to the contrary." Esme felt a twinge of regret for being so cold and straightforward, yet she felt it was the only way to get through to the girl. "Undisputable evidence like a DNA match, but also high hCG hormone levels, and a uterus that has yet to shrink to normal size."

Bella was shaking her head."I don't care what everyone thinks they know about this. I was not pregnant." She then pointedly shut her mouth, pursing her lips tightly.

"You need to start protecting yourself. You need to start cooperating with your lawyer. While concealing a pregnancy is not necessarily a crime, concealing a birth and failure to report a death could potentially lead to legal repercussions."

Not to mention suffocating a baby by placing it in a plastic bag, but Esme didn't say that part aloud.

"Listen, because this is important. If there's been a situation in which you've felt threatened or pressured into doing anything against your will, then that is something you need to tell your lawyer."

"No, I'm not listening. Go away." Bella had her hands over her ears now, like a child having a tantrum.

"Isabella. Bella, please."

"Don't call me that."

"What? Bella?"

"Go away, go away, go away," she mumbled under her breath, rocking back and forth slightly. Then she stopped. "HE called me that - Isabella-Bella-ella," she said, looking Esme straight in the eyes. "Bella-ella-ella'… It's there, whenever I close my eyes, like an echo in the near-silent night. That and the smell of blood."

"What else do you remember?" Esme knew she was pushing her, but it really seemed to be the only way.

"No." Bella shut her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't remember anything… There is nothing to remember. I want you to leave now." And with that she reached over and pushed button by the side of her bed –the nurses button- efficiently signaling that Esme's visit had come to an end.

"Okay, I will leave. The kids will be home from school soon anyway. Is it okay if I tell them I've been here and seen you? They've been asking about you, how you're doing and wishing you well."

Bella pressed the button again.

"I'll tell Alice you said 'hi'. Anything else you want me to pass along? A message for Edward perhaps?"

Bella's head snapped up. Her response was instant and unmistakable "Tell Edward he is dead to me. He can go to hell."

Alright then….

Esme had been moving to get up from the visitor's chair, but this had her stopping in her tracks.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I know you were… good friends at one point. Please, think about what I've said, Isabella. At the end of the day, you're the only one that can help yourself, because you're the only one that knows what really happened."

"I got sick, I collapsed and woke up in this place. That's all I know… that's all that happened." She was getting worked up again, the rocking was back.

"I'll leave now. Take care, Isabella. I hope I'll see you soon."

The last she saw of the girl was her wide, fearful eyes staring into nothingness. All was not well with Isabella Swan, that much was clear.

…

 _ **AN:/ So no test result in this chapter even though I promised there would be. Sorry! The chapter was getting really, really long.**_


	65. Chapter 65

-=[ Isabella Swan, the past]=-

65

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 _ **AN: this chapter will be told from the pov of the Cullen's**_

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Esme was loading the dishwasher when she heard someone behind her.

"Did you want something, Alice, or are you just trying to turn my hair grey?"

"Sorry, mom. Didn't mean to startle you," Alice apologized and then seemingly randomly pulled a drawer open, and rummaged through it.

"Did you lose something?" Esme followed her with her eyes, trying to figure out what she was doing. "If so, I can help you find it."

"No, don't mind me. I'm just gonna grab…these, " Alice said as she finally held up what she supposedly been searching for…a pair of scissors.

Esme laughed for the first time in days. She was surprised that she remembered how. "Your grandfather's old barber scissors? Did you grow a beard?"

"Uhm, no," the girl said somewhat sheepishly, as if she only then realized what she held in her hand."You shouldn't laugh. Unwanted hair growth is no laughing matter."

"Sorry, dear." Esme put the last glass in the dishwasher and closed it. "Do you really need those scissors or was it something else you came here for?"

"I bought a whole bunch of leather scraps from ebay a while ago. I've got a few craft ideas for Christmas pressies that I thought I'd get started on. I need something to cut the leather with."

"Leather?" Esme questioned .The girl couldn't have found a flimsier pair of scissors in the whole house, if she'd tried. "You'll probably need something sturdier – maybe even a knife. And no, that wasn't an invitation to steal one if my kitchen knives. I need those for cutting meat and veggies."

"Uhm, okay. I guess I could check in the garage," Alice agreed and reluctantly put the old and partly broken pair of scissors back in the drawer.

"You could ask Edward, I'm sure he'd help you find what you're looking for," Esme suggested innocently.

"Why? Because he's a guy and should know his way around a garage?"

"Because he's the organized one in this family. I specifically remember giving each of you kids a first aid kit and a fully-equipped toolbox for your cars on your 16th birthdays and I believe Edward's the only one that hasn't lost half the tools or misplaced the box all together."

"I haven't lost or misplaced anything. I'm sure Rosalie knows where everything is. She, if anyone, knows her way around our garage, seeing as she uses it more frequently than any of the boys," Alice shrugged, hoisting herself up to sit on the kitchen counter. "She's enjoys tinkering with engines and mechanical things for some obscured reason… And who am I to deny her that fun, right?"

"My advice is still to speak with your brother."

"I rather not. I'm don't want to talk to him at all right now."

"And why is that? Did something happen? Something new?"

"Mom, you know why." She was shaking her head. "He's a total grouch and I just don't feel like dealing with him right now. I'm trying to be supportive, but even I have limits. "

"He's your brother and he's going through something that none of us can quite understand," Emse reminded her daughter calmly.

"I understand alright. I understand that my brother has been treating one of my friends poorly and I do not like that. I don't think he's the bad-bad guy in all this, but he hasn't exactly been the good guy either."

"Right now, there should be no picking sides, no good vs. evil. No one benefits from that kind of blame game. All we can do is offer our support and make sure he knows he can turn to us…. And that goes for Isabella too, of course. She only has her father to fall back on."

"But mom-…"

"Make no mistake, your father and I, are not happy with the way Edward has been behaving. He'll get his punishment in due course and hopefully he'll learn his lesson. However, at the moment it's vital that we keep calm and refrain from jumping to conclusions. In all honestly, I don't think enough focus has been placed on the well-being of Isabella and her baby girl. I can't see anything more important than that."

Esme stopped there, she didn't want to say too much in front of her daughter. Instead, she moved back to the dishwasher and set it to run its normal cycle with no add-ons. After pressing start, she went back to the sink and rinsed her hands for a second.

In the meanwhile, Alice showed no inclination to move off the counter. She also remained uncharacteristically silent.

"Was there anything else, dear?" Esme asked.

"The baby, is she…? Could she be my niece? Edward says no, but… he has his head shoved so far up his ass it's a wonder he doesn't walk into walls."

"You know I don't have an answer to that one. We need to be patient. There is no point in speculating. "

Alice heaved a loud dramatic sigh. "You keep saying we'll know soon enough, but honestly the suspense is killing me!"

"Then, I'm sure you can imagine how your brother feels. Where is he anyway? The music room? I don't hear him? Is he skipping his practice today?"

"No, he's in there alright, moping and feeling sorry for himself. He is just not doing any warm-up scales today, it seems. He did play an impossibly depressing piece earlier though, so that's how I know the dickhead is still alive and-..."

"Language, Alice!" Esme interrupted her. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but you father got the result from the paternity test on his desk about half an hour ago. It's in a sealed envelope that he'll be bringing home with him after his shift ends. Your brother knows about this. We phoned him earlier to let him know today is the day. So if he's been extra tense today, then there is your explanation."

"Oh, f-ing finally! I want to be in the room when Edward opens that envelope. Please!"

"That's for your brother to decide," Esme replied, with a shake of her head. Then she gently shoved her daughter off the kitchen counter. "Now, what do you say to pasta for dinner?"

Alice, however, wasn't that easily distracted. "I refuse to be the last one to know… again," she complained. "That would be beyond unfair. This affects me just as much as it affects the whole family."

"Alice, pasta Bolognese –yes, no?"

"With Zucchini noodles? Not that nasty Seaweed stuff, right?!"

"Actually, I was thinking I'd do real pasta tonight…."

"In that case a million times 'yes', but if this is you trying to placate me with my favorite food, then forget it! I'm not that easily manipulated."

"Actually, it's also your brother's favorite food," Esme pointed out. "So it's more for him than it is for you. Because he really, REALLY needs to eat something before he'll withering away completely."

"Oh…"

"Yeah oh. Will you stay and cook with me?"

"I suppose I could do that."

"Excellent! Go wash your hands while I start with some preparations."

.

..

.

"Your really weren't looking for those scissors earlier, where you?"

"Grandpa's scissors? No, not really," Alice admitted, looking up from the carrot she was grating. "I do have a ton of scrap leather, that part was true. I just haven't been in a creative headspace recently. I've been too upset with… well, everything, you know…"

"That's actually quite understandable," Esme replied, placing a large pot on the stovetop. "Twins often feed off of each other's moods, for better or for worse. When one is upset, the other will often join in just because his or her sibling is sad. I often saw that phenomenon when you and Edward were younger."

"I don't think that's it, but whatever," Alice said, rolling her eyes.

"No? What do you think it is then?"

"Things are a bit weird at school at the moment. A lot of stupid shit being said without thinking… Also, I miss not having my two best friends around. I only have Jaz at the moment. He's great and all, but sometimes you just want your girls, you know."

"I can't do much about the situation at school I'm afraid. However, girl-talk is right up my alley. Next time you're feeling lonely-…"

"I'm not feeling lonely."

"Okay." She held her hands up. "Just wanted you to know you don't have to make up silly excuses to come find me. We don't have to talk about anything in particular… Or talk at all. Sometimes being silent together can be just as powerful as a deep conversation."

"Cause I do silence so well." Alice joked at her own expense.

"You should try it sometime."

"Actually, Mom…. Can I ask you something? It's about Bella."

"Yes, daughter, since you're asking so nicely I will allow it," Esme replied with a small smile, before adding a pinch of salt into the pot of water. "Can't promise I can answer, but ask away."

"Is it true that she didn't know she was pregnant? Is that what you meant when you mentioned Bella's well-being earlier?"

"Who told you that?" Esme deflected the question with one of her own. Just then, the water started boiling, so she dropped the pasta into it and turned down the heat. "Can you time this, dear? Let it boil for ten minutes."

"Someone at school suggested it… several someones, actually," Alice said, reaching for the egg shaped timer. "People are finding it strange that Bella is still here, when the baby was moved to Seattle several days ago. They are saying she's in denial and doesn't want anything to do with her own child. But Mom, that doesn't sound right to me. She isn't like that. She wouldn't-"

"Oh, honey…Is that what's been going on in that fast-moving brain of yours?" Esme reached over and gave her daughters arm a gentle squeeze. "I believe Isabella is a passive victim of her circumstances right now. She has no control over her situation. Firstly, the baby had to be moved urgently, for medical reasons. This decision had to be made and executed while Isabella was still drugged up from surgery. She had no say in where her baby was taken. Secondly, there is an ongoing police investigation and anyone that can be tied to that crime scene and the pond in the woods, is either a suspect, or a witness. I wouldn't be surprised if Charlie Swan has been advised not to let his daughter leave town until this is all sorted out."

"Yeah, but that baby is all alonewith strangers… Can they do that? I get that they wouldn't let her see the baby unsupervised, while this whole thing is still being investigated, but not allowing it at all?! That sounds really cruel! Separate a mother from her child, on the grounds of suspicion alone?"

"It's a very delicate and serious situation," Esme held out her arm. Alice slid over next to her. "That little baby is receiving intensive care right now - which means she's in an incubator, on a high power ventilator. She can't breathe on her own-..."

"Still… she should be hugged and loved."

"Human contact is important of course, but that little baby couldn't be held and hugged even if her mother was right there with her. At this stage we're talking gentle touches and soft soothing voices at most. Of course, there is no substitute for a mother's loving touch. However, the hospital staff will do their very best to take care of both her medical and emotional needs."

"I sure hope Chief Swan is out there pulling every string there is to pull to make the investigation move as smoothly and quickly as possible!"

"All are equal before the law and his job is to enforce the law. I would imagine that there are only so many favors he could call in without hurting the case.

"Well yeah, but… "

"All of the circumstances must be considered. It appears as though several criminal acts were committed and this must be thoroughly investigated. With no other witnesses stepping forward, the only one that can shed some light on what really happened is Isabella herself... Unfortunately though, she has not felt ready to talk about any of this yet."

"Really? But she's been awake for days," Alice said, her brows furrowing. "Why wouldn't she want to talk and set the record straight?"

"Shock and grief can make people shut down and stop talking, which makes it difficult for the police officers working the case to get details. It's rather common and should not be seen as an admission of guilt."

"But Bella is always so… rational, well spoken and articulate. I still say she had to have known she was pregnant! No way she didn't know and no way she would let any harm come to any babies. There has to be a perfectly reasonable explanation for everything that has happened here."

"Hypothetically speaking, the line between truly not knowing you're pregnant and knowing but suppressing the truth, is a fine one. It has nothing to do with someone's intelligence or their ability to understand. You hear stories all the time about-…."

"I know, mom. I'm well familiar with the oddly fascinating and highly addictive 'I didn't know I was pregnant' show. Thanks a bunch for making me watch that when I was fourteen, by the way." She paused to make a disgusted grimace. "But I'm still pretty sure at one point or another you MUST be all, 'either the burrito I just ate is literally made my stomach turn over in revulsion, or I just got kicked by a baby.'"

Esme responded with a gentle and diplomatic, "Some babies don't kick often or hard."

"But there were two of them! Twins!"

"It's like a moment 22. How much a baby move depends on how much room there is for it to move."

"They HAVE to have moved and she HAVE to have known. Edward too. I can't believe he can be so flippant about all this!" she fumed.

"Thinking something, or suspecting something, isn't the same as having it confirmed and accepted that knowledge as a fact."

"Obviously, but-…"

"Shut it Al! Don't you know every time you open your mouth, God kills a kitten!" Both Esme and Alice jumped at unexpected voice coming from behind them. "You talk so much shit I'm surprised your teeth aren't brown."

…

.

"Edward! I didn't see you there!" his mother greeted him as he sauntered into the kitchen. "Are you done with your practice?" She motioned for him to come closer, so that she could squeeze his shoulders in a one-armed hug.

Edward ducked under her arm though. He didn't need no f-ing hug. Instead, he headed for the refrigerator.

Once there he ended up staring into it for minutes until he realized that although he hadn't eaten since breakfast, he wasn't even the slightest bit hungry.

"I'll have dinner ready soon, pasta Bolognese – your favorite," Esme informed him, coming up to stand beside him.

"Eh… when I was five, maybe." He grabbed an unopened water bottle and sidestepped his mother a second time. "It's fine, I'm not really hungry anyway."

"I'll make you a tomato and mayo sandwich, if that's better? You really should try and eat something."

"Did you not hear me? I'm not hungry," he said in the most polite voice he could muster, which wasn't very polite at all.

"I understand that, but you still need to eat."

"And you need to back off!" he scoffed.

"Edward… I worry about you."

"Don't." He felt his jaw clench against the frustration he felt. He wanted to be alone so he could get shit-faced and forget, but he knew that wasn't an option.

"Mom's right," his annoying twin sister said, joining the conversation. "You should eat something. Your pants are sagging so much that the top of your buttocks is hanging out." With that she went for one of the belt loops on his jeans, pulling them down a good three inches, before he could push her off of him.

"Hey, you two - behave!" Esme interrupted. "No fighting in my kitchen!"

"I didn't come here to fight," Edward grumbled, pulling his jeans back up. "In fact, I'd rather be alone right now, so…" He trailed off motioning towards the door he had come in through.

"Not so fast! There was actually something I wanted to talk to you about. Please come on over here and sit down, the both of you," Esme said, gesturing for both of her children to take a seat at the breakfast bar side of the kitchen island. "You will want to hear this. It's about Isabella."

"What about her? Do we really have to do this now?" Edward questioned, but followed her orders nonetheless. "I'm so not in the mood for this."

"Edward, I know you know your father and I were meeting with Charlie Swan earlier today. I thought you'd like to hear how that went. Charlie even let me speak briefly with Isabella-…"

"Wait, mom, you didn't tell me this," Alice interrupted. "You saw Bella in person? What did she say?"

"Take a seat and I'll tell you. I only had a brief chat with her and she was not in a very talkative mood."

"She never really is," Edward couldn't help muttering.

"Oh, shut up. She talks to me all the time. She just doesn't like-…"

"Sssh. Let me speak first," their mother interrupted. "Edward, I know you've expressed concern about Isabella not having a skilled enough lawyer to advice and guide her through this."

"I wouldn't call it concern," Edward responded coldly, although it certainly could be called concern. "I just mentioned it to dad, because I know how much of a cheap bastard Chief Swan. I can totally see him being tempted to skimp on lawyer costs, that's all."

"Well, Charlie assured us that they have a lawyer, and that it is someone he feels confident in. I did check with Isabella as well, and she did indicate that she does understand the importance of listening to the legal advice she's given."

"Alright then everything is cool," Edward said, slumping forward in his seat until his elbows were resting against glossy bar top in front of him.

"What else did you talk about? What else did Bella say?" Alice butted in, impatiently.

"She said to tell you 'hi'."

"Hi? Is that all?"

"Like I said, she wasn't very talkative — which is quite understandable, all things considered. She has a lot to process. Physically, she's doing okay though. She's still recovering from her surgery, but steadily gaining strength."

"Mom, when can I see her? I know you've said I'll have to wait until she's been released from the hospital… but it's been ages already… Any news when that will be?"

"Sorry, dear, it's not up to me to decide WHEN, or even IF, any future visits will be allowed. I would expect there to be some restrictions, depending on how the legal aftermath of all this goes."

Edward made a snorting sound. His head was turned downward though, making it impossible to read the expression on his face.

"What was that Edward?"

He didn't even look up. "Nothing," he said sounding bored.

"Well, it might interest you to hear that as of today, your father will no longer be involved in Isabella's recovery in any professional capacity. This to avoid any ethical issues arising, if-…."

"Because of me? That's stupid. I've already told you that the paternity test will most likely clear me."

"Calm down. We are aware of how you feel; you've made that very clear. You didn't let me finish. I was going to say that this, of course, means all updates from now on will come from straight from the Swan's, or their lawyer and it's entirely up to them to decide how much they'll share with us."

"So?" he asked seemingly not fazed at all.

"So we have to prepare ourselves that those updates could be few and far apart. Isabella's baby is in a neonatal intensive care unit fighting for survival as we speak. Shared DNA or not, I know I'll still feel personally invested in all this, no matter what. I believe every baby deserves to get a chance to live."

"That's because you've got babies on your brain," Edward muttered, but then amended himself. "Sorry. Of course, Swan's baby deserves to live and of course I understand this whole damn town is personally invested. For me it's a little more complicated than that though," He slid off his chair and stretched his arms over his head. " Now, if there's nothing else, I'm outta here..."

"One more thing... Isabella said something that I wanted to ask you about. Have you ever heard anyone call her 'Isabella-Bella-Ella', in a sing-song voice, like an echo?"

"What?"

"It's something Isabella mentioned when I asked what she remembered of the night she went into labor. She said HE called her 'Isabella-Bella-Ella' and that it's stuck on her brain. Any idea who, she could have been talking about?"

"No," Alice shook her head. "She gets called Swan a lot, mostly around school and around those who likes to pick on here because of who her father is… Her actual friends call her Bella, or just B for short. "

"And Bells, right? " Esme asked. "I believe I've heard Charlie call her Bells."

"Well yeah, but the only other person I've ever heard call her that is Jake."

"Edward?"

He must have made a sound because his mother suddenly looked at him, brow creased.

"Sorry, just hearing that name made me want to punch a wall."

"What? Bells?"

"No, 'Jake'. I'm no fan of her so called 'boyfriend'."

It was true, something about that kid had him seeing red with rage.

"I see. This is the boy Isabella was seeing on and off for a while – Jacob Black?" Esme turned to Alice for confirmation.

"Yes, he goes by Jake. They have 'dated' a bit, but it's never been anything serious between them. He's younger and it shows… He can be quite immature at times. Bella once told me he always wanted more than she was willing to give. I assumed she was talking about sex, but I didn't ask."

"You're shaking your head, Edward. Anything you want to add?

"Nope...I mean, any other girl would have dumped this asshat on the spot the first time he got a bit too 'handsy' with her. But nope, not Swan. Even though she knew that he was trouble, she was always making excuses for him…He's young, he didn't mean anything by it…He said he was sorry, that he won't do it again etc, etc…"

Aww, Eddie, so bitter…. and jealous. Can't believe I didn't see it sooner," his sister teased him."Come on, you totally asked her to drop him, but she refused and now you're all-…"

"Shut up!" He snapped and pinched her arm.

"No you shut up!"

"How about you both shut up?" Esme suggested lightly, "I don't want to play referee today, and Alice, didn't we agree you were gonna give your brother a break?"

"Great, you've been talking about me behind my back?!"

"No, dear. Please, sit back down. I did talk to your sister earlier about being supportive and focusing on the right things. And also, we did talk about this day being an important one."

"Mom, was Bella like seriously depressed when she first got here or something," Alice suddenly cut in seemingly at random. "Is that what you meant when you spoke about her well-being not getting enough focus earlier? Are you worried she's having a relapse?"

"You know I can't disclose that kind of information."

"She was walking around in a fog when I first got to know her… I always assumed it had to do with her mother's death. I didn't want to pry into something that might hurt my new friend's feelings… so I never asked."

"Generally speaking, brain fog is a common symptom of anxiety and stress. Sadness, anger, numbness, and despair are all common reactions to a sudden loss. However, everyone is different, everyone grieves in different ways and gets through hard times in different ways."

"Bullshit, she was all drugged up on antidepressants she did not want and probably would have been better off without," Edward blurted before he could stop himself. "Sorry."

"Without confirming anything, I'd like to point out that there are drug-free ways to cope with depression and anxiety," Esme answered diplomatically.

"There are drug free ways and then there is Edward's way..." Alice said putting her fingers in front of her mouth, mimicking smoking a joint.

"ALICE!" They both interjected at the same time.

"What? I'm just saying that would explain a lot. I've been wondering what Bella ever saw in you. I mean, you weren't particularly nice to her."

"Kids, that's enough! We should respect Isabella's privacy and not speculate any further," Esme interrupted. "Alice, there is garlic in the pantry can you get me some? Edward go wash your hands, you're in charge of the salad."

.

….

.

"There, all set." Esme placed a bowl of grated Parmesan cheese on the counter. "Now, we're just waiting for your father."

When Edward didn't answer, or look up, she moved in closer. "What's the matter? Are you nervous?"

"Me nervous, pfft. No, I'm not nervous," Edward shrugged.

He wasn't nervous, he wasn't anxious and most of all he wasn't scared.

"Okay, if you say so," she patted his shoulder, sneaking in that hug she'd been going for earlier."There are worse things than getting in trouble over an unplanned pregnancy, but -…."

"Mom," he protested, untangling her arms from around him. "I'm not some fifteen year old kid, who doesn't know how to use a condom. This isn't my doing. I didn't get anyone pregnant. This whole thing is so... unfair."

"Well, someone did get that girl pregnant and despite your protests your name is among the top contenders."

He held his hands up, not having the energy to continue to argue. "You know what Bella said to me? She said her body was so fucked up she didn't even get periods anymore, making it pretty fucking hard to conceive a baby. Well, that was clearly a lie. If she's lied about that, what else has she lied about?"

"She said she couldn't get pregnant? Really?"

"Yes, or… well, no. But it was definitely insinuated. What she said was that her periods had been irregular, almost nonexistent over the last year."

"Oh, okay. Her weight dropped drastically after-…."

Just then, Alice came barging into the kitchen, saying something too fast to follow.

"Alice… say that again… slower…"

"Mom, turn on the radio! Someone just texted me that the police is releasing another statement."

"Who texted you? Jasper?" Edward asked.

"Not important, just turn it on already."

"What station, dear?"

"Geez, I'll do it myself, or we'll miss the whole thing."

.

…

.

Carlisle came home to a seemingly empty house.

Gone were the days when his children would come running from all corners of the house to greet him at the door. He remembered them fighting over who'd get the first hug, like he was some kind of superhero. Needles to say hugs from dad were no longer in demand. Where had the time gone? They'd grown up so fast.

Whenever he would mention to his wife how he missed those days, she would kindly remind him how he used to play hide and seek with their twins, just so he could hide in the closet to get a 10 minutes break while they looked for him.

 _Anyone who tells you that raising children isn't hard work, is lying through their teeth!  
_

Still he'd do it again in a heartbeat. Now, if only Mother Nature would get the memo. Or perhaps it was Mother Nature that was waiting for them to get the memo and get back on the adoption route while there was still time.

His thoughts went briefly to the letter in his briefcase. He'd promised his wife he wouldn't open it...and he hadn't... That did not mean he had not thought about it. Grandparent before the age of 40 – that's what you get for your sins follies!

Carlisle was, of course, a little concerned about how his son would deal with all this. There was a real possibility that the test result wasn't what Edward expected or wanted. Honestly, there was nothing that could prepare you for the experience of being wholly responsible for the welfare of another human being. The kid was a genius and a high achiever on many levels, but he wasn't one to handle emotional stress well…

Carlisle could only hope this would be the eye-opener Edward needed to start working on himself, his health and his issues. If the kid didn't smarten up and changed his attitude now, then he could kiss Juilliard goodbye – kiss any college plans goodbye…

The irony was not lost on him though. History certainly seemed to be repeating itself, in the cruels way possible... Carlisle remembered being seventeen and learning the consequences of unprotected sex. That's when Esme – his best friend-turned-girlfriend- had suffered through an ectopic pregnancy, that literally blew a hole in one of her fallopian tubes, resulting in the most gruesome pain imaginable, followed by bleeding of catastrophic proportions, and a touch-and-go surgery. Esme had been lucky only losing that one the tube, and not her life. The internal bleeding alone could have killed her.

Of course, his seventeen-year-old self had not handled it well. It had taken him many years of poor judgments and irresponsible actions, before he'd finally wised up. Carlisle knew he'd been oh-so-very-lucky to have gotten a chance to fix his mistakes. A chance to fix himself and win back the love of his life. He was ever so grateful to have a wife and a family to return home to after work.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Carlisle called out as he walked through the foyer and into the living room.

By now he could hear faint voices from the kitchen, so he headed that direction.

"Oh, there you are," he said, having finally spotted his wife. The twins were there too, he noted. They barely looked up from whatever it was they were doing though.

"Oh, you're home," Esme greeted him, her stance and body language was somewhat tense.

"What? No kiss today?" Carlisle asked with raised eyebrows, as he entered the room.

"Sorry love. I was preoccupied." Esme motioned him over for a kiss on the cheek. "Good that you're home, you should hear this."

"Hear what?" Carlisle asked, shrugging out of his coat and tossed his coat over a chair. They had the radio on, so he figured they were talking about a song or radio ad, or something.

"Yeah, dad. You should hear this," Alice exclaimed, giving him a come-hither wave. "The police are asking the public to report in any sightings of Edward's car!"

"They are not," Edward muttered, his tone as bright and cheery as always.

"Excuse me, dipshit - a silver Volvo C30 T5. There can't be more than a handful of those driving around in Forks…"

"There are two - silver metallic like mine - to be exact. Plus, one that is titanium gray," Edward responded, flipping his sister the finger.

"I see," Carlisle said, making a mental note to check in with his lawyer later. He'd been planning on doing that anyway but this reinforced that decision. "Edward, son, I though you said your car-…"

"Was in the garage pretty much the entire weekend. It WAS. I don't know what they are on about."

"Could be a way to rule it out.- to rule YOU out from the investigation, which would be good news."

"Shhh, the commercial break is over," Alice shushed them.

"… _bring you the latest news, sport and culture for the Pacific Northwest."_

" _And we're back. Let's kick this hour off with more updates from Forks. We start with an urgent traffic alert. Beginning now through 7:00pm tonight, there will be lane restrictions and road closure affecting Spring Forest Road south to the intersection of Piney Fork Road. This due to ongoing police activity in the area. Please adjust your travel plans accordingly."_

 _A second female radio host, took over,_ _"We'll update when there are more details. As of now what we have unconfirmed reports that the police are flushing the drainage system under one of those two roads mentioned. Supposedly they are preparing to send in a camera, and / or police dogs, in hope of uncovering further evidence in the Dumpster-baby case."_

" _The Dumpster-baby Case? Is that what we're calling this?" asked the male host. "I've heard 'The Abandoned Swan Pond Babies,' as well as a few references to ducklings and -…"_

" _Aaand as promised, here is the short summary from the police, regarding the latest progress of their investigation," The female radio host cut in again. "When we spoke with Officer Heidi Burns from the Seattle police department earlier today, she said that while an autopsy has been preformed, no final announcement of the cause of death is likely for days."_

" _She also said, and this is a direct quote, 'no new suspects or witnesses have been identified —the investigation will continue'. As we mentioned before the commercials the police are appealing to the_ _public to report in any sightings_ _of a specific car- bright silver metallic Volvo C30 . This car is believed to be associated to a person of interest for this investigation, a person close to the seventeen year old mother."_

" _However, they are also interested to hear about any sightings of any other vehicles seen near Mallory's gas station, or Forks High, or the old service road near Piney Fork Road on the Saturday in question."_

" _So, no suspects and no arrests,_ _but they have secured evidence_ _at the scene of the crime, among other things, a so-called 5-in 1 multi tool knife and a smaller piece of clothing, which we reported about earlier in the week."_

" _Not clothing, a piece of a drawstring."_

" _Believed to belong to a pair of sweatpants, gym shorts or a hoodie. So like I sais a smaller piece of clothing."_

" _That's one very small piece of clothing."_

" _Semantics. Someone used a piece of drawstring to tie off the baby's umbilical cord. The rest of the drawstring was thrown away, or simply forgotten, until it was found in the woods by the police. It has since then been sent off to a crime lab for analysis. Officer Burns is carefully optimistic that a DNA sample will be obtained and that it could be the big breakthrough this case need."_

" _But what's clogging up the sewers?"_

" _Sewers? Oh, you mean the drainage system that's being flushing out this very moment? Another piece of clothing perhaps? Somewhere out there, we have a pair of gym shorts missing their drawstring."  
_

" _Oh, I see where you're going with this... Ditches, sewers, dumpsters. No stone can be left unturned. "_

" _It's a dirty job but someone's got to do it. Now, in other news,_ _did you hear about the ATM robbery? Two thieves used a_ _stolen forklift to steal a full-sized ATM from the Chase Bank in West Seattle._ _"_

" _Yeah, didn't they-…"_

"I think we've heard enough," Carlisle reached forward and shut the radio off. "And… I'd advice everyone to turn off your phones for now! A lot of people will know what car they are talking of… they'll want to know what's going on. No one speaks to anyone about this tonight!"

"But Dad-…"

"You'll survive one night without your phone, Alice."

"Es, honey, what do you say? Food first then we talk?" he asked turning to his wife.

"That was the plan and I've got everything ready, but if you think we should-…"

"No, no. I still think we should eat first."

"Aright then…. Come on dears, let's sit down for dinner."

"You expect me to eat… NOW?!" Edward said like it was one of the most absurd things he had ever heard. "I wasn't hungry before and I'm certainly not hungry now."

"What's the matter son?" Carlisle gripped the teenager by his shoulder, nudging him along into the dining room. "Nervous?"

"No! I wish everyone would stop asking me that every five minutes."

"Well, sorry not sorry. This is potentially a big deal and you should be nervous."

The kid REALLY should sweating bullets at his point. For starters if little baby Swan was in fact his, then life as they knew it would be over. And as if that wasn't enough, Edward was still front and center of that police investigation.

Carlisle's train of thoughts was interrupted, by his wife who appeared in the doorway. "Honey, your phone is blowing up! Do you want me to get it for you so you can take your own advice and turn it off? Or I suppose I could do it for you?"

"Ah, yes please turn it off, thanks! It should be in my coat pocket. I dropped it over a-…"

"Chair. I got it," she responded, disappearing from the doorway. Then half a minute later, she was back again. "I took care of it. I did notice Gerandy's name on the display. Do you want to call him back, or…"

Gerandy, or DR. Burt Gerandy was the chief of staff at the hospital. And, no, not someone he felt like talking to this very moment.

"I-… you know what, Gerandy can wait. I believe we have more important matters at hand. Do you need help with the food?"

"No, I've got it covered. I'll be with you in a second."

Carlisle turned his attention back to his kids, who by the look of things seemed to be engaged in a hushed conversation over… well something .

He only caught the tail of it, it sounded like they were talking about the paternity test.

"… _screw that! I'm no one's dad. It's so improbable, it's almost funny."_

"Nothing about this is funny, Edward," he cut in. "Your opinion on the matter is secondary to the actual result. And bear in mind, the police is following this with great interest, so I'd say it's probably better that you keep your opinions to yourself altogether at the moment."

"Not just the police, dad…." Alice said. "This is all over school. Someone at the hospital saw you guys there when Edward took the test and now everyone is waiting for the result."

"See, this is what I'm talking about," Edward groaned. "Everywhere I go people are talking shit about me. It's like they've been waiting for me to mess up… They would just love to pin everything that's happened to Swan on me. That's worries me more than the actual test result in itself!"

"I'm sure you're overreacting, son," Carlisle said, thinking, not for the first time, how he didn't understand this boy. "If your car truly didn't leave the garage and you aren't missing a knife, or walking around in gym shorts missing a drawstring, then I really can't see any reason for panic at this point. … Unless you know something you haven't told me…. "

"Actually dad, the analysis of that drawstring could… cause problem!" Alice piped up. "You see, Bella started the evening in one outfit, but ended it wearing something else entirely. I kind of, sort of, have a feeling those clothes will be of importance... "

"Really?! Please, do explain." It didn't escape Carlisle's attention that his son was making cut-throat gestures towards his sister.

"Eh…well… I'm just saying that at some point during the night of the party Bella went and changed her clothes, or put on more clothes …or whatever. Not sure about the 'when', 'where' and 'why', obviously, but she was at OUR house, at OUR party …and you know, it's not unusual for her to borrow stuff like sweaters and jackets from me, or Rosie, or one of the bo-…"Alice suddenly broke off her sentence with a loud hiss.

"Ouch! You're such a chicken, Eddie! I'm trying to help you here!"

"Edward? Was Isabella seen walking around in your clothes the night in question? Is that what I'm supposed to be taking from all this?"

"NO. I mean, I wouldn't know. I barely saw Swan that night." He'd gotten to his feet again and was standing near the door, arms folded in a defensive manner across his chest. "And what the f-ck, Al?! You're not helping, you're just being annoying!"

"Alright. Calm down! Now, you're making ME nervous,"Carlisle warned, his voice adopting a slight edge that affirmed his statement. "Please, sit down! Both of you!"

"No, I won't sit down! I'm not going to sit here and wait for you guys to eat your dinner! That's just not gonna happen," Edward countered, his voice wavered with barely-controlled anger. "I just want that test result. How difficult is that to understand?! Just hand me that envelope already!"

"Son, I-..." he started saying, but was interrupted by his wife came into the room.

"Hey, hey… What's the ruckus about!"

"Esme, I'm afraid we have a bit of a situation going on."

"I'm aware. You weren't being quiet… neither one of you," she said, hurriedly making her way towards her seat. "Which is why I brought this with me," she added, placing something on the dining table – an envelope, THE envelope.

"You went through my briefcase?" Carlisle raised an eyebrow at his wife.

"You started without me. I thought we agreed to handle this together," she countered, with a pointed look, before turning to their son."Now Edward, as your mother I would still like to see you eat something tonight. However, you are way too old to be force fed, so I'm leaving that up to you to decide," she pulled her hand back, leaving that much sought after letter up for grabs. "If you want to open this now, then go ahead and open it!"

Across the table, Edward had yet to move a muscle.

"Or, if you want to wait… that's okay too. I understand if you want more privacy… Also, if you want one of us to read it to you, just say the words."

There was a loud intake of breath.

"Like I'd trust anyone else with this," Edward muttered, finally snatching up the envelope.

He fumbled a bit, but still managed to cut his way through the top flap with his knife without hurting himself. His hands shook visibly, as if just touching the paper filled him with unspeakable horror.

It was a single sheet of paper folded in half. After a brief moment of hesitation, he went ahead and unfolded it.

Around the table, the other three Cullen family members watched Edward scan the sheet of paper. He was showed no sign of any emotion as he read the words written on there.

The room fell silent. The only thing heard was Alice tapping a finger restlessly against the water glass in front of her. She probably wasn't even aware she was doing it.

Finally, Carlisle was the one breaking the moment. "Well son, what does it say?"

"It says… Bella Swan is a f-ing liar and a complete nut job," Edward growled as he angrily crumbled the paper into a ball.

Carlisle and Esme looked at their son in confusion.

"… one that apparently birthed, not one but TWO humans, whose DNA is half mine. The probability of paternity is 99.9978 fucking percent."

With that he was on his feet so abruptly, his chair fell backwards, crashing to the floor behind him.

"Edward…."

"Not a word! I don't want to hear another word."

.

…

.


	66. Chapter 66

_**First phone call…..**_

.

…

.  
"Hello?"

"Hi. It's me."

"Hi, me. What's going on?"

"Where are you? Are you working tonight?"

"Nope, I'm at home."

Edward sighed. This was a bad idea, but… "Can I come by?"

"I don't think that's such a good idea. You see, our next door neighbor came over about one hour ago. Charlie Swan, remember him?"

"Oh." Definitely a bad idea then. "Listen, I kind of need a favor here. Can you come pick me up and give me a ride someplace?"

"Where?"

"Elmwood hights."

"No."

"No?"

"I know who lives in that area. I'm not going to do anything that would get me, or you, in trouble and that place is trouble"

"Come on. I really, REALLY, need to get to James's place tonight. I thought we were friends and you do owe me one, Leah."

"No, you come on. I'm not gonna risk my recovery and well-being for you. You're not THAT charming."

"Thanks for making me walk 1 1/2 miles in the cold rain."

"If it was any other favor, any other day, I'd at least consider it, but-…" Leah tried to explain, but Edward ended the call before she could finish.

.

….

.

 _ **Second phone call….**_

.

…

.

"No way! I f-ing knew it!" Rosalie exclaimed over the phone. Her voice rising to a level that had Alice moving her phone away from her ear.

"Yes way. And jeez… you don't have to sound so elated."

"Eddie is the daddy!"

"That's what I just said," Alice huffed indignantly.

"I know. I was just relaying the news to Emmett," Rosalie explained at the same time as her boyfriends his cursing was heard in the background.

"Let me guess, you guys had a bet going and he just lost?!"Alice asked, in disbelief.

"Mm-hmm... sort of."

"That's just sick! How can you-…"

"Sleep at night. Got no trouble with that!" Rosalie cut in before the sentence was finished. "Listen, I know he's your brother and that both you and Em love him dearly, flaws and all. And gawd knows there are plenty of those. Your Eddie is immature, selfish, annoying and a bit of a slag. He's no monster though. I know he didn't intend to get anyone pregnant and I'm sure he would have handled the whole thing differently, if he had known where this all would lead."

"No need to sugar coat anything. Bella is my friend and by the sound of things he's been treating her like shit while being a complete asshole in the process. He's still my brother and I could never hate him, but can't say I like him all that much at the moment either."

"Wait! Say that again."

"I don't hate him, but-..."

"Shhh! Not you," Rosalie hushed Alice. "Emmett just stunned me by accidentally saying something uncharacteristically on point."

"Uh oh, what did he say now?"

"I'm paraphrasing here, but basically he said it's funny how the guy is always the asshole or selfish jerk, when it takes two to enter a fuck buddy arrangement, sex-pact or whatever their pseudo relationship was."

"Yeah, but he's done some rather assholey things, so…" Alice pointed out.

"Right, but in Eddie's defense - and I can't believe I'm defending that wanker - how can we be sure who treated whom badly, when we really only know a fraction of what went on between those two."

"He dumped her. He slept with her for months on the down low and then dumped her from one day to the next, like she was no one special. He's said so himself. That sounds kind of assholey to me!"

"Definitely, but we know he has issues when it comes to intimacy and relationships so it shouldn't come as a shock to anyone that knows him that he's eventually make up some stupid excuse to distantiate himself. Also, girls can be assholes too. We are naturally territorial, judgmental, and competitive and so on… How do we know she wasn't using him, or pushing him around, or bullying him? Let's be real here, Bella is no saint and she's not an easy person to get close to. It's quite obvious that she's got issues far beyond the usual teenage angst. Apart from what little your brother has told us, we really don't know anything about anything here."

"Well, I know one thing! Edward better 'man-up' and fix this mess he's gotten himself in. There is this tiny, tiny baby, fighting for her life in a ventilator, that deserves a chance… that deserves all the love in the world."

"I absolutely, one-hundred percent, agree. Where is Eddie anyway? Em's been trying to reach him, but he isn't picking up his phone. Understandable, I suppose. You wouldn't believe how many messages we've gotten tonight about the police asking for sightings of Eddie's car."

"I don't know where Edward went, I'm not even sure he has his phone with him. He flipped after he read the test result and stormed out of the house with dad in hot pursuit. I haven't seen or heard from either of them since."

"Oh well, I hope he's just cooling off somewhere… If he takes off and leaves town now-…."

"He wouldn't do that! I know my brother and he wouldn't just leave."

"Let's hope you're right. In the meanwhile, perhaps we should compare notes, so we know what to say when the police comes knocking."

"I-… wha-…? You think they'll do that?"

"I'm surprised they haven't already, actually. I mean, Edward will face another round of questions for sure. And they'll be stupid not to question those attending your party, as well. I think it's just a matter of time."

"Okay fine, but what good will comparing notes do?"

"Let's put it this way, your brother's alibi, as to where he was and whom he was with from midnight into the morning hours, is looking rather bleak. It relies heavily on the cooperation of one stupid ditz and one vile bitch," Rosalie explained slowly, seeming surprised they weren't following her reasoning. "And he won't be of any use to Bella or their baby from a holding cell."

This prompted some sort of response from Emmett, one that Alice couldn't quite catch. "What did he say?"

"He asked who's the ditz and who's the bitch," Rosie snorted. "Jessica Stanley is obviously the ditz, and Tanya D can be both bitchy and two faced. There, all sorted… Now try to keep up, okay!" she said impatiently. "The point I'm trying to make is that neither one of them are known to be reliable, or cooperative in the slightest. This is gonna blow up in Eddie's face and he'll be left with no alibi, no way to cover his ass."

"Surely, anyone with half a brain will know he wasn't out there in the woods delivering babies," Alice objected. "He wouldn't just stand there and watch Bella in pain and do nothing. He wouldn't NOT call 911. He swears he found out about the babies the morning after, just like the rest of us, and I believe him."

"I know, I know… From what we've heard Eddie's last memory is being helped up to his room and collapsing onto his bed, simply too drunk to do much of anything other than pass out - much to the dismay of the ditz and the bitch who undoubtedly had something entirely different in mind when they invited themselves to his bedroom."

"Imagine being a fly on that wall!" Emmett shouted in the background.

"So you DO believe Edward when he says he was in his room all night?"

"I do. We've already established that while he is definitely a bit of an asshole, he's no monster. We all know he's extremely squeamish about germs and bodily fluids like blood and all that. No way he cut the umbilical cord and no way he touched a blood-smeared newborn."

"And no way he dumped that baby girl in a freaking dumpster. He wouldn't do something like tha-…"

"I agree," Rosalie interrupted her. "Which is why we need to help him out a bit. I think Emmett should tell the police about how he walked in on Edward and Tanya making out in the kitchen. And how he figured his brother must be really, REALLY drunk to let loose like that. Everyone knows PDA isn't his style."

She paused, waiting for Emmett to make an affirmative response before she continued. "I will, of course, mention that I, too, saw Tanya and Edward together at the party and how I later in the evening saw them head outside together. I was out back smoking with McKenna when we observed Tanya leading a clearly intoxicated Edward across the lawn towards his place. By that point Edward was so far gone Tanya was having trouble keeping him upright. That's when they ran into Jess, who by the looks of things offered Tanya some 'assistance'. I'll make sure McKenna says the same thing, that it took two people to maneuver Edward up the stairs and into his room. We'll mention that we saw Tanya leave the party no more than fifteen minutes later. This is where you come in Alice. I think you should mention that Jessica stayed the night and that you saw her leave the next morning."

"Eww. Thanks for reminding me!"Alice groaned. "I wish I could unsee that! Stanley was butt naked, and had to be dragged out like a kicking and screaming toddler. She only calmed down when Edward went back inside and fetched something for her... a consolation prize of sorts. I assume it was weed."

"That sounds like Jess alright," Rosalie snorted. "Maybe you should keep the weed, or the kicking and screaming part to yourself though. What you should mention however, is Edward's OCD and how it affects his day-to-day life. His obsessive need to stay clean and his fear of germs and blood and all that… Tell them about the time he passed out doing blood typing in biology class in school. And how he's prone to panic attacks in stressful situations and how he just shuts down when he doesn't feel like dealing with certain people or certain situations."

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" Alice questioned. "Bringing attention to his panic attacks, I mean? That's just going to lead to more questions and take them in the wrong direction. He doesn't even get them nearly as frequently as when he was younger."

"Isn't this a big part of who he is though?" Rosalie was quick to reply. "Can't see how it can hurt, on the contrary, actually. Talking openly about it would contradict some of the shit I'm sure some of your so called friends will say about him. They'll say he's aggressive, anti-social, weird and so on…."

"Yeah, but I still don't think Edward wants to draw more attention to this issues than what's already documented in his school and medical records. Ask Emmett, I'm pretty sure he'll agree with me."

"Oookay, hit a sore spot, I see. I know you guys like to pretend he's just like everyone else, but in reality-..."

"He isn't THAT different, but whatever," Alice interrupted. "Moving on… What about Jaz. Anything I should tell him, when I speak to him next? I'm sure he will want to help too. I mean, out of the five of us, he was the only sober one, so his words should weigh more than any other party-goer's. "

"True. Tell him to mention all the uninvited guests that showed up for the party, especially the rez kids. Make sure he mentions everyone by name and how it came pretty close to a full-fledged brawl. Oh, that reminds me… Alice, perhaps you should mention how much of an ass James and his friends are and how you've witnessed Bella getting some unwanted attention from their direction recently."

"I don't know about recently… besides why would I want to bring attention that whole cluster fuck situation with James?"

"We want to give the police other alternative scenarios to work with, other possible suspects worth looking into. The DEA has been involved from the start, so they obviously think there is some kind of drug related connection here. We want to place as many of the big players at the party as we can, without making it sound like some giant, drug-fueled orgy."

"But neither James nor Vicky was there, were they?""

"No, we don't think so, which is why you should try and find another way to point a finger at James, because he, if anyone, deserves some scrutiny."

"Right… sure, I can do that. By the way, Jasper says he saw a whole gathering of people down by Mallory's gas station later in the evening. Apparently that's where they all ended up after they were run off our property. That's something worth mentioning to the police, right? I mean, the pond - Bella's pond, if we may call it that – is just as close to the gas station as it is to our house."

"Oh, is this from when Jasper did his taxi runs?"

"Yeah. Exactly. I think he also said both Sam Uley and Paul what's-his-name were there, along with all the 'rejects'."

"Sure, why not. That's two more names to throw into the mix."

"What about Bella? How do we best help Bella? I don't want to make things worse by saying the wrong things to the police."

"Honestly, this may be one of those times when it's better to say nothing at all for the time being… They way I see it, she's up to her neck in trouble."

"Because the police can't find that second person they believe was with her when she gave birth?"

"Well, that and because Bella herself isn't talking. From what we know so far, it appears as though she hasn't even tried to give any explanations as to what happened. Didn't you say yesterday that the rumor around school is that Bella did not know she was pregnant to begin with and that she is in a complete state of shock about the whole thing-…"

"Actually, I think it's more than just a rumor now, because Mom got all serious and stuff when I asked her about it. She didn't confirm anything, of course, but he didn't exactly deny it either."

"Wow, well I'm sorry, but there is just no way I'm buying that. How could Bella not have known?! For real?" Rosalie commented with great disbelief.

"I know! That's what I've been saying!"Alice exclaimed with a huff. "She must have known, or at least suspected it. Unless… " she trailed off, not even wanting to say the rest aloud.

"Unless what?"

"Unless it's a deliberate tactic to get her out of trouble. She could be playing up her mental health issues. It's a thing, isn't it? People falsely claiming 'insanity' to avoid liability for whatever it is they've done."

"Methinks you two watch too many legal dramas," Emmett butted in.

"Oh, shut up. Have you forgotten we're stuck with the great Peter Whitlock in our extended family?" Rosalie snorted. "I don't doubt that he is as good as everyone says he is - the best lawyer this state has to offer or whatever - but honestly, all Peter ever talks about is work, work, work… He's such a bore, which explains where Jasper gets his less-than-sparkling personality from… "

"Hey!" Alice objected at the same time as Emmett boomed out his response, "Come on, Ro, you have to give Mr. Whitlock some credit - his anecdotes about past clients and cases can be hilarious at times. Though, I still maintain you watch too many legal dramas."

"Whatever... Like I said before, Edward is no use to anyone from a holding cell, but I can't see Bella helping herself or her baby while being placed in a psych is why it's probably wise not to divulge too much information about her to the police – or anyone else, for that matter –until we know more about how this will play out."

"This is such a mess. I truly can't believe this is happening and has been happening before our very eyes for months. I had no idea my own brother was sneaking around with one of my best friends… and I had no idea my friend was in such a bad shape that that she her ability to make rational judgments and sound decisions had been compromised. And I usually know and see these things before anyone else does. I could have saved a life that night, or at the very least made sure Bella got to the hospital. But nope… I was too busy with my own life. Too busy partying the night away, to notice that something was up. I didn't pay her enough attention. Some friend I've been, eh?!"

"We're all guilty of not being observant enough. We all failed to see that something was seriously wrong. To our defense though, Bella's a fiercely independent, never-ask-for-help kind of person. It's hard to help someone that doesn't want to be helped."

"Yeah, but I was closer to her than any of you-… Oh, hang on," Alice interrupted herself as her phone beeped. Pulling her phone from her ear, she sighed at the text message. "Sorry guys. Jasper just texted me that he is home from practice. Is it alright if we finish this later?"

"Oh... I see where your priorities lie. Seriously Al, if you're hanging up on me to have phone sex with my step brother, I don't want to hear from you in a long while."

"That's so not on the agenda tonight, but whatever…I'm hanging up now."

…

 _ **Phone call #3**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **.**_

In spite of the late hour, Esme answered her phone on the first ring. "Have you found him, Carlisle? Please tell me you've found him!"

"No, I'm sorry. I've checked all the places I could think of. He isn't at the diner, the library or the gym. The police still got the school grounds under observation, so I doubt he'd go there. I've even gone as far as checking the bars, all three of them, even though I'm fairly certain he'd get recognized and turned away at the door. And he doesn't have that many friends… not that we know of anyway. I've checked with the Whitlocks, obviously, but Jasper wasn't home."

"What about the bus station?"

"I drove past there, I didn't see him. Last bus to Seattle leave in half an hour. I suppose I could check again."

"Do that! Check again," Esme insisted. "What about the girl you mentioned the other day, the Clearwater girl that works at Mallory's?"

"She has the night off. I've already checked."

"So, where does the Clearwaters live?"

"Next door to Charlie Swan."

"Oh. Yeah, I forgot."

"He'd be stupid to go there."

"Check anyway."

"At the risk of alerting Charlie that Edward's gone missing? He'll recognize my car for sure."

"He might not even be home. I know it's late, but if it were me I'd be spending my nights sleeping in one of those plastic visitor's chairs at the hospital."

"The HOSPITAL, of course! Why didn't I think of that?!"

"You mean you think Edward would go there? To the hospital? To Isabella? Really?"

"He wouldn't go inside. He knows the place is heavily guarded, both by the police and the regular hospital security. But yeah, I bet he'll end up over there before the night is over."

"Maybe…" She sounded anything but convinced. "I'll try Alice again. She always knows more than she lets on."

"Just don't leave the house, in casehe comes home."

"Okay, call me again in an hour, or if anything happens."

.

…

.

 ** _Phone call #4_**

.

Jasper answered his phone with a cheerful, "Why hello there, runaway-daddy! I'd give you my congrats, but something tells me that's the last thing you want to hear."

Edward could almost see that sardonic smile on the other end of the line.

"Shut up! This is not funny!"

"Sorry, it's just that your whole family is looking for you. Between me and dad, we've spoken with them all tonight – your parents, your siblings, the police-…:"

"The police, boy they work fast."

"Eh, you know how it is. News like this one spreads like farts around here. It could be unrelated, but yeah, dad got a phone call from some supposed special investigator I can't remember the name of. Anyway… Where are you? Still no car. Right? Do you need me to come pick you up?"

"Gee thanks, but your offer is like two hours late. You should have answered your phone the first time I called. Now my feet are bloodied and blistered from all the walking I've had to do."

"I had practice. My phone was in my locker."

"If you wanna help, I could use some cash, cuz I've got nothing on me, not even my plastic -…"

"Wait! You really ARE leaving town?"

"No. Or maybe, but I mean, I wasn't planning on doing anything of the sort tonight…Who said I was leaving town? My parents? Or was it Alice?"

"Well… They all seem to think you're either leaving town, or about to do something messed up, like hurt yourself."

"That's just stupid. Listen, I'm meeting with James in a couple of minutes. He's not gonna be happy with me when he realizes I didn't bring any money with me. Hence, I might need you to come bail me out. And obviously, you can't tell anyone where you're going."

"Ouch! You're right, he's going to be less than thrilled after what happened the last time, when you brought Em with you for a surprise visit. I can see why you're willing to take the risk though. I'd need good dope too, if I were in your shoes."

"Yeah, well James can take a number and wait in line with all the other people waiting for a chance to chew me up and spit me out. I can't even bring myself to care at this point."

"Tough life, Eddie. You made your bed, and now you lie in it."

"Whatever… So can I count on you coming to my rescue? Or at least picking up the phone if I call you again in ten fifteen minutes?"

"I suppose I could do that. I mean, I was gonna take a bubble bath, drink some lavender tea and watch Netflix, but-…"

"Do my sister know you're such a fucking girl!"

"That I like fucking girls? She's fully aware of my preferences."

"Shut up! I'm gonna hang up now, but keep your phone with you!"

"Yes, daddy. I won't talk to strangers and I'll call you the minute I get home from school… I promise!"

"Later…:"

.

…

.

Edward shuffled through the inside pocket of his jacket fishing out his last cigarette. He lit it, took a long drag, and blew the smoke out, contemplating his options.

The time was a quarter past ten. He could have been on a bus halfway to someplace else by now. Instead, he was lurking in the shadows like a creepy loser with nothing better to do.

He couldn't leave without finding out what the heck was happening here. Why hadn't Bella come to him? What had he done to make her feel like she needed to deal with this in her own way?

He straightened up with an odd, sinking feeling in his stomach. 'You know what you did. You shut her out. You had her trust, and you shut her out. You dumped her and then treated her like air. She'd been angry at first, refusing to even look your way. She'd gotten over it quicky though. Gotten over YOU quickly… TOO quickly. And that had you sulking all summer like a sulking like some sensitive, needy twelve year old girl who'd gotten her feelings hurt.'

Leah had said she thought no one had known about the pregnancy. Evil tongues around town were saying Bella herself hadn't known. They were calling her mentally unstable, promiscuous and volatile. Heck, Edward himself had called her a nut job on more than one occasion – even though deep down he knew better than that.

What if Leah was right? What if Bella had ended up collateral damage in some sort of sick twisted revenge plot orchestrated by one of the 'big five'.

Turns out Edward's secret hookups with Bella Swan, weren't that much of a secret. Jacob f-ing Black had known something was going on there. And if Jake knew, then Sam knew for sure and if Sam knew, then Paul and Embry knew too…

This shit was important because, apart from the whole 'who knew what when' thing there was also the burning question of the plastic bag in the dumpster? Who in their right mind puts a baby in a plastic bag and dumps it in the trash? It could have died. It almost had. His heart clenched with sudden anguish.

Up until this point he hadn't given that nameless, faceless baby much thought and honestly the 99.9978 percent DNA match didn't magically change how he felt about the whole situation. It did however make him feel anxious about Swan and the legal trouble she'd gotten them both in… In fact, he could feel the panic raising just thinking about the consequences that could follow, should there be a trial. There was really no guarantees he'd come out of this with a clean slate and a clear criminal record... and Bella's situation was probably even worse than his own.

Just then, the eerie glow from a pair of headlights could be seen darting between the trees as a car was approaching.

Show time… or rather, time to make a second attempt at finding out what the all-knowing James could tell him about Swan. Oh and also, time to score something to get high out of his freaking mind on. Because once this little meet up was over he was planning on getting shitfaced and forget this day ever happened.

…

.


	67. Chapter 67

The car engine came to a slow stop, but the lights shone brightly against the overgrown vegetation along the sides of the road. Edward stepped out of the shadows and slid into the passenger seat. The muggy air in the car smelled sort of like the typical boy's locker room – i.e. it was filled with five kinds of cologne, to mask other heavy scents.

James was on him before he'd even shut the door. "Cullen, you lazy fucker, this better be worth my time!"

"What got you so grumpy? Don't tell me I dragged you out of bed and ruined your beauty sleep, princess!" Edward shot back.

There was a half snort, half chuckle kind of sound from behind him. Edward groaned inwardly, but turned in his seat and gave a court nod to the girl in the backseat. "Vicky, didn't realize you'd be tagging along." His clipped tone made it clear her presence was neither necessary nor welcome."

"Hi Eddie! You're looking a little worse for wear. Rough night?"

"Rough night, rough week, rough life..."

"I can relate. I dropped my phone yesterday and the screen is completely shattered. So now I'm on an involuntary social media cleanse and feeling depressed as fuck-…"

"Alright, woman that's enough from you," James snapped. "I warned you about keeping your mouth shut."

"No, you said no interfering… I'm not interfering, I'm making small talk."

"You will shut up until I prompt you to speak, understood?" When there was no reply, James reached around and yanked on the girls arm and repeated loudly, "Understood?"

"Ouch, yes! Yes, understood. You're hurting me-…"

"Did I tell you to speak?" James asked her, causing Vicky to stop talking.

"That's better. So, Cullen…. "James turned back to Edward, continuing the conversation as if nothing had happened. "Did you misplace the Volvo or something? I've heard the police are out asking for sightings of it."

"Ha. No. It's in the garage, where it's been the entire time. I don't know what they are on about."

"Right, I forgot. It was fun, fun, fun 'til your daddy took your T-Bird away….Life is tough when you're a trust-fund baby and you're at odds with your parents. What's the latest? Have they cut off your allowance? Thrown you out of the mansion? Turned your precious piano into piles of fire wood?"

"I'd like to see them try," Edward snorted. "Since when do I listen to anything my parents have to say anyway?"

"You tell me… Or, actually, don't. I'm not really interested in listening to you bitch and moan. All I need to hear from you is that you got cash on you. Cuz I ain't doing charity work."

"I will have it ready for you soon."

"Soon? That's not how it works. If you don't have the dough, you're you've got no business calling me!"

"I know how it works. You're gonna start the car and we're gonna go meet up with Whitlock, alright."

"Not alright! I don't like it when you drag other people into our deals. We've been over this before."

"Says the one that brought the girlfriend as a tag-along," Edward pointed out, turning around to look at Victoria. "How's the arm, still attached?"

"It's fine. Thanks!" she replied, shooting daggers at James. "I'm not that easily silenced or marginalized. I just let him think he's the one calling the shots."

Her boyfriend snorted at that. "You're really asking for it, aren't you?"

"One of these days I'm gonna walk away from you. And when I do, you're gonna beg me to come back!"

"Believe it or not, Vicky, you're not irreplaceable."

"Hey, man. Focus! I didn't come here to listen to you guys go at each other's throats," Edward interrupted the argument. "I want you to drive to the hill behind the cemetery. And stay clear, from 'Piney' and the road past school, alright."

"I'm the one calling the shots here and I don't take orders from anyone," James said tensely, but started the car engine all the same.

"Yeah, whatever… I don't have all night. I wouldn't be surprised if the police are already out looking for me, so just step on it!"

"Are you a wanted criminal now? That's hot!" Vicky exclaimed with sudden interest. "I've always liked you, even way back when you were the weird kid with weird hair and weird glasses. We should totally get together sometime." She threw James the middle finger, while casting what she probably thought was a sexy look at Edward.

He repressed a shudder of disgust. "Thanks, but no thanks. I better lay low for a while. This shit with Swan is about to turn into an even bigger mess than it already is."

"How's that?!" James cut in. "Thought you swore you'd never tapped that?! Thought you said the only reason you went and got that DNA test done was because Chief Swan had been on your father about it?"

"Yeah, about that..." Edward knew he was going to regret this, but it had to be done. "I kind of, eh, sort of did sleepwithher," he blurted. By making certain admissions here, he was hoping to get something in return. "Just once, or twice… She was always over at our house, and things just happened…"

"You WHAT?!" James exclaimed in an amused tone, not sounding particularly surprised at all.

"I knew it! I even told you so, Jay, but you didn't believe me," Vicky gloated from the backseat. "It was so obvious that she was into you, Eddie. She was always watching you, always hanging around you like a bad smell."

"Cullen, Cullen, Cullen, "James wagged his finger smirking. "This is oh-so-hypocritical of you! All those times you told me to stay away from her, reminding me of her age and who her father is and so on… You just wanted her for yourself. I always knew she was special, special in the sense that she knows how to spread her legs wider, than all the other sluts."

"HEY!" Edward and Vicky both protested at the same time, but probably for different reasons.

"No need to call her a slut, there is enough of that kind of talk going around already and I prefer not think about that aspect of it all," Edward said as a mean to justify his outburst.

"You dog, you," James smirked with ill-conceived glee. "It's a shame you couldn't take your own advice. You just had to fuck the new girl, stake your claim and mark your territory… And now that P-test is gonna come back positive and you're gonna be stuck with a kid for the next 18 years."

"It wasn't like that!" Edward felt an unreasonable and unidentified surge of anger, but couldn't act on it –shouldn't act on it. This whole thing would be moot if I he got carried away.

"Aww, you have feelings for her, Eddie?" Vicky asked. "I mean, you must have, if you let her talk you into sleep with her without a condom. Tanya says you're the most paranoid guy she's ever slept with… and that girl do get around."

"Come on, give me some credit," Edward sighed rubbing his face with his hands. "I don't have sex with anyone without a condom, but sometimes shit happens! I honestly thought I was in the clear here, but…."

"Wait! Are you saying what I think you're saying?" James eyebrows raised in a curious look. "I was only joking before about the test coming back positive."

"Well, guess what? It's back and the probability of paternity is 99 fucking percent."

"Congratulations, man!" James shoved his shoulder in a joking manner. "Life as you know it is over!"

"I bet she did it on purpose, like sabotaging your condoms or something," Victoria commented, apparently stuck on the 'how is it even possible?' part.

"What the fuck?"James objected. "Surely, she's too intelligent for that shit," James objected. "She doesn't strike me as one of those stupid, small town girls with no future other than to get themselves knocked up so that they'd be taken care of."

"Everyone wants what they don't have," Vicky pointed out with a snort. "She's an oddball for sure, but even weirdo's wants nice things in life. It doesn't seem like her daddy is the generous kind – No cash, no material things, no lush life there…. Have you seen Swan's clothes? Her makeup? Her hair? I don't think she's gotten a haircut even once since she got here. She doesn't even get her nails done professionally… From what I've seen, her life looks, if not miserable, then at least boring as fuck. "

"Alright, when you put it that way… Why wouldn't she want to trap Forks very own trust-fund babe," James chuckled. "With her being new in town, she must have missed the fact that you come with a handful of warning labels - Don't touch! Dead Inside. Contagious!"

"Gee thanks," Edward rolled his eyes. "If her plan was to trap me, wouldn't she have told me the minute she found out she was pregnant? " he reasoned while rubbing his hands on his acid wash jeans. He liked the burn of it. It was distracting. "Instead she didn't breathe a word of it to anyone, even though it would have been to her advantage to do so."

"Maybe she messed up and wasn't sure who the father was. Maybe she wanted to see what the baby - or babies - looked like before she made any kind of announcement. I mean, we've all heard that tan skinned, dark eyed, brown haired friend of hers, brag about sleeping with her…"

"Makes sense," James agreed and stepped on the gas, sending the car lurching forward. He'd navigated out onto road 563 and they were heading towards the Coastal beach road now, having made a bit of a detour around the town center.

"No, that's where you guys are wrong," Edward said, resisting the urge to hit his head against the dashboard, repeatedly. "I've been over every possible scenario, but nothing makes sense and nothing seems entirely right to me."

"Okay, but you know what that means, don't you? If nothing makes sense, then that only leaves those crazy rumors about how Swan having had a breakdown and gone completely mental," James shrugged.

"Everyone has heard THOSE rumors," Vicky joined in. "The talk around school is that she gave birth to those babies without even knowing she was pregnant… and that is CRAZY!"

"Yeah, about that …." Edward said, and then hesitated briefly for effect. This was it, this was the moment he had been waiting for. He turned around in his seat to address Vicky directly.

"There is something I've been wondering… Who knew, or at the very least suspected something was wrong with her? Surely, there must have been talk going around ever since school started up again… She'd gained weight over the summer and you girls don't miss much... Didn't anyone ask her about it?"

"Bully her about it, you mean?" Vicky laughed. "Surprisingly, not a lot was said to her face, or even behind her back… Everyone saw that she was heavier. There were a few fat jokes flying around… but nothing too bad. I think that's because everyone already knows about her having some kind of eating disorder. I mean, come on, she was seriously anorectic when she first came here. We just figured she'd gone bulimic over the summer break or something. Also, the 'new girl' novelty has worn off now, so no one was paying her THAT much interest..."

"I don't know about that," James objected. "New girl or not, she's still a total hottie. It's nice to see some variation from the many stick-figure-shaped girls."

"Hey!" Vicky slapped his shoulder, but he didn't let that stop him. "You'd be blind not to notice those new curves. Also, her leg injury was quite noticeably still bothering her. Everyone could see that she was still limping from her run in with Taylor's van… I suppose we were all just assuming she'd been sitting around, eating junk food all summer, waiting for that giant cast to come off. Who wouldn't put on a few pounds from that?"

"Hey, what about you, Eddie?" Victoria suddenly turned the question around. "You're the one that slept with her. How come you didn't notice that she was preggers?"

"Well, it's not like I've seen her naked lately, or seen her much at all, these past few months," Edward said, and then in an attempt to deflect the question, he went on saying, "Jay, turn right here and stop at the end of the street. I'm gonna shot Jasper a text to come meet us."

His phone booted up successful, but once turned on it lit up like a Christmas tree with missed calls and text messages.

Why couldn't they just leave him alone? He didn't need this type of pressure… Not now. Not ever.

Sighing, he sent off a message to Jasper. He made sure to tell his friend not to hurry though. Edward still had a bit more digging to do and a few more questions to ask.

"James, man, tell me the truth," he said, as he pocketed his phone again. "No more playing dumb. No more lies. No more bullshit."

"The truth about what?"

"Where were you the night of the party? Did you really NOT see Swan at all?"

"Not this again," James groaned. "I've already told your meathead of a brother, I didn't see Swan, or your sister, all night. The closest I came to your place was the crossroad down by the gas station."

"Yeah, but what happened? We had plans. We were supposed to meet up. What made you change your mind?"

"Why all these questions, Cullen? Why this odd fascination with my whereabouts? I've already said I wasn't there, so why are you pressing the issue?"

"Call me paranoid, but something isn't right here. I've got the police after me for something I had no involvement in…"

"You DID supply the sperm though. You can't get out of that one!" Victoria piped up helpfully.

"That was months and months ago though. Trust me, I haven't had any part in Swan's life in ages. I think something bad or horrible happened to Swan, whether it was on the night of the party, or before that, I don't know… What I do know, is that Swan didn't just snap and turn into some crazy or mentally unstable person over night. Nothing about this is organic, there is something else going on here. I can't put my finger on it. I don't know where to start to get to the truth. I can't even clear my own name-…"

"Whatever, man. It's not my fault, your alibi is shit." James shrugged. "I texted you to come meet me. You never showed and I wasn't gonna go looking for you. Not that it wouldn't have been fun, playing around a bit with your sister, but frankly, I have better things to do with my time."

"I'm not asking you to give me a freaking alibi. I just need to know you never saw Bella that night? Never cut any deals with her around that time? Never sold, or gifted her anything?"

"The answer to all of those questions is N-O! Don't ask me again, man. And don't you sic your brother on me again! Because, if you do I'll make your life difficult for you!" James eyes gleamed with resolution and anger. "No one will want anything to do with you once I'm done."

"Boo fucking hoo, I'm so scared."

"You should be. My toes are not the only ones you've stepped on. Embry Tanner doesn't want anything to do with you. And he's not the only one getting fed up with you Cullens."

 _Oh, BINGO!_

"Oh yeah. A friend of mine kindly pointed that out to me just the other day. She spoke of toes being stepped on and bridges being burnt. I must say that shit with Embry is just stupid, he can't seriously think I stole his precious Tanya-.."

"Precious, my ass!" Vicky snorted.

"As I said, that's some stupid shit!" Edward repeated. "And then there is Sam Uley, who wants people to think I went after Leah Clearwater while they were still an item. There's not even a shred of truth to that, obviously... Not quite sure what Sam's gain was, why he was spreading those lies, but I'll figure it out."

"Wait? What's there to figure out?" James asked "You don't get it? You've been on his shit list ever since you ran Black off the road four years ago."

"Billy Black ran himself off the road, I just happened to be the first person at the scene. I was passing by the intersection on a freaking bicycle. There were several eyewitnesses, clearing my name completely."

"Oh, I know that. I'm just telling you what Sam and his friends are saying. Rumor has it you - or rather your daddy - bought your way out of trouble with that one. Everyone knows you're a stoner, Eddie. They are saying there is no way you passed both the breathalyzer test and the roadside drug test that day. It doesn't sit well with them, especially when poor Billy got in trouble for drinking a few beers too many beers down at the pub. "

"Whatever man. I was just a fourteen year old kid, minding my own business. Paul Lahote was right there, he knows I had nothing to do with the accident. He and Sam are best buds, so Sam knows it too. I still don't get what Sam's deal is."

"It's that trust-fund again, Eddie," Vicky clarified. "That and your daddy's ability to get you out of one sticky situation after another… You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth and it irks a lot of people around here, Sam included."

"Geez, alright. Thanks for insight. I've tried to understand how this town reasons, but I give up," Edward held his hands up. "I do have another question for you, V. Why am I getting blamed for Hale dumping Royce King? I mean, he beat the crap out of her on more than one occasion, so clearly he had it coming to him. Right?" He paused for half a beat. "Now, I know she ran straight into the arms of my brother, but I really, truly had nothing to do with that. I don't even like Rosalie, I only tolerate her for Emmett's sake."

"You kidding me?" Victoria sounded baffled. "You went and got Royce busted for… what was it again? Possession with intent-..."

"... to distribute." Edward finished the sentence for her. "Again, not really my doing."

"So, you mean to tell me, that sweet, innocent Alice, did that all on her own?" James said with a laugh that implied he knew what, exactly, Alice had done, but that he still wasn't entirely sure Edward was not the brains behind it.

"Man, that's my sister and you know I would never incriminate another member of my family. There a many possible scenarios. Maybe it was Hale herself, or her lawyer stepfather… Maybe it was Mike f-ing Newton…"

"Newton knows he'd be dead if he ever-…"

"Whatever man… It really doesn't matter who the culprit was. The way you went after Alice for it - not cool! You're lucky me and Em didn't clue in on what was going on until months later."

"Your sister needed a lesson. We simply knocked her down a few notches," James shrugged.

"Yeah," Vicky joined in. "You should be glad Laurent left it up to James to deal with her. Your sister got off easy, if you ask me."

"Laurent, you say?" Edward did mental high-five with himself - an actual confirmation of one of his suspicions. Now he was getting somewhere…

"Honestly, sometimes I think Laurent is using us all as pawns in his plans to take over this town," he said with dramatic sigh.

"That's too funny," Victoria laughed. "I think we'd know if we were being played."

"Are you sure about that? The guy says jump and everyone asks ' how high'? What I want to know is, could Laurent have put out orders to mess with Bella Swan? Either to get to me, or simply because of who her father is. Let's say one of his moles found out she was pregnant and who she'd been sleeping with… Let's say he used that information to threaten her in some way, blackmail her, or I don't know… What if he pushed her until she snapped? Could that be what happened?"

"No, man," James answered, without hesitation."Not a chance. I would have heard about it by now if that was the case. He doesn't have moles I don't know about. He doesn't give out secret orders above my head."

"You sure?"

"Not to brag, but unless your name is Tanner, you can't get much higher up on the 'food chain' around this place than where I am at the moment. I'm practically Royce replacement."

 _Ugh. True. Back to the drawing board…_

"Honestly, Cullen. I haven't heard anything about any foul play being directed towards your Swan-..."

Suddenly, they all jumped in their seat at an abrupt pounding on the hood – Jasper's way of saying hello.

.

…

.

"Hey, give me that. You're way too sloppy." Edward told Jasper reaching for the Ziploc bag on the center console between them.

They were in the front seat of Jasper's Dodge Challenger and Jasper was currently busy rolling them each a blunt.

"Yeah well, this shit is better sloppy, than unfinished. You, my friend, are too fucking slow, that's why I'm the one in charge," Jasper responded, handing over the result of what he'd just been working on. "I'm even letting you have the first one, so stop complaining."

"F-ing finally," Edward sighed. "Hallelujah! It's been too freaking long!"

"You wanna talk about it?" Jasper asked as he adjusted the AC so that it was on full blast. He already had the sunroof open though, so the AC was probably useless. Only Jasper would get a car with a sunroof while living in the rainiest state in the continental US.

"About how I had to flush my weed stash? No not really."

"No, I meant in general. So you want to talk about why you're up to your elbows in shit? Or more specifically, do you want to talk about that little baby Swan? Or is it baby Cullen, now?"

"Shut up! And no, I'm good," Edward responded flicking his lighter to life. "I don't want to talk about it."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

"This is one strange place to light up a bed time bowl, man. Just saying…"

"Oh, give me a break! It's a deserted area and an excellent place to park when you want to get away from prying eyes."

"We're not even a block away from the hospital though… Coincidence, I think not!"

They were currently on the grounds of an abandoned construction site. It was located rather close to the hospital as the original plans had been to turn this plot into a recreation & rehabilitation center. However, no work had been done on site in over a year. There had been a bit of a scandal, involving accusations of outdated and hazardous materials being used. Investors had pulled out from funding the project.

"We're also equally close to the diner and I haven't eaten in a while," Edward shrugged. "I'm thinking of heading over there and get a burger or something…"

"So the fact that a certain troubled Swan chick is asleep in the building towering to our right, has nothing to do with it?"

"Whatever, man. Believe it or not, there actually is such a thing as a pure coincidence."

"Okay, just tell me this… Are you planning on trying to get into Swan's hospital room, or something? I mean, am I expected to drive the getaway car? I'd totally do it. No problem. I just need to know about it beforehand."

"No." Edward frowned. "Why would plan something like that?"

"Why not? I've heard you say on multiple occasions that you'd love to get some answers out of her?"

"Sure, but not at any cost. If I get caught in there…" He nodded with his chin toward the hospital building. "…they'd lock me up and throw away the key. I'm sure chief Swan would see to it personally. And I kind of like my freedom, so… not happening."

"So what is your plan then? Please, do tell. I'd like to hear it," Jasper pushed again."You're not going to do something dramatic, are you? Your sister would be devastated if you went and hurt yourself by getting too high and then freaking out. … just saying… "

"If I had enough energy to care, I should be offended that everyone seems to think I'm going to lose it completely over this shit. I'm not going to shit faced and jump off a roof and I'm not going to skip town."

"That's good to hear. Leave town if you have to, but steer away from high building, fast moving vehicles and hard drugs… or at least remember, moderation is the key," Jasper joked, lifting his blunt to inspect his handy work.

"Leave town if I have to? So, leaving is okay in your book?"

"Honestly, I'd probably be half across the country by now if I were in your shoes."

"If you got my sister pregnant, you'd skip town? Is that what you're saying?" Edward said, mustering up someindignation.

"Nah. If THAT particular situation ever occurred, I'd totally, take my cues from ALice on what to do. I'd say it's 50-50, whether she'd want me dead, or just settle for having my balls busted in some creative way," Jasper said, scooping up the lighter. "Do you really want to talk about your sister's sex life, though?!"

"Ugh, no you're right. Where were we?"

"You leaving town," Jasper reminded him. "Now, if I had the cops breathing down my neck, I'd probably be long gone by now. That's what I meant with what I said about being in your shoes… I'd be on a long nice vacation, visiting some distant relatives in California, or something….Just saying…"

"I thought your relatives were all in Texas? And you father is a lawyer, there is no need for you to run away."

"Stop nitpicking everything I say, " Jasper sighed, and took one hit from his blunt and inhaled then took another one, tilting his head upwards to blow out some smoke. "I was just trying to make a point."

"A shitty point. I'm not about to leave town… at least not yet."

"Right. Okay. I have a question," Jasper said and raised his hand like a schoolboy in class.

"Another one?!" Edward responded. He then sighed. "Fine"

"Why was Alice going on and on about gym clothes and drawstrings and what nots…? I kind of zoned out after she dropped the bomb about the test result and didn't follow the rest of her rant…"

"Eh, well… we've learned some new stuff about how the police investigation is progressing. They were talking about it on the radio earlier today."

"So… what happened? Did your missing clothes turn up in some inconvenient place or something?"

"No. What they said was that the police have found a piece of fabric, like a drawstring, or something similar to that and that it was tied around the umbilical cord of one, or perhaps both babies. The details are a bit sketchy… Alice, being the drama queen that she is, automatically decided that it's must be the drawstring from my missing sweatpants and that that this means even more trouble is heading my way."

"Oh… If she's right, it could mean trouble though, couldn't it?"

"I don't even want to think about it. They also said they'd found a knife and then they went on describing my car, asking if anyone had seen it the night of our party."

"But your car was in the garage, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, of course it was. The way I see it, someone must have been feeding lies to the police to make me look bad."

"Who would do something like that?"

"I can think of several someone's… the most obvious one would be Black. He was one of the very few people that knew about me and Swan and I know for a fact that he was using it to try and control her. He insinuated that he was going to blab about it to her father."

"He's just a stupid kid though. You really think he'd try and get rid of the competition by putting you behind bars?"

"I don't know. Like I said, I can think of several people that seem to have some sort of beef with me."

"Well, we know Tanner is ticked off with you. for sure."

"Embry, you mean? He needs grow up and take off his rose colored glasses. I didn't steal his girl. "

"I don't know man. I was there. You looked at her and gave her a nod, apparently that was all it took to charm her clothes off and steal her away. I always found if funny how everyone seems to think you're some kind of Lothario all of a sudden."

"You don't steal a person. You can express your interest. If that person fancies you back, awesome. Otherwise, you move on and go with the flow. I didn't steal Tanya from Embry, nor did I steal Leah from Sam or Bella from Jake… That's just ridiculous-…"

"Oh man!" Jasper suddenly groaned and shot up straight in his seat. "We got company!"

.

….

.

Seconds later, Carlisle had the door on Jasper side open and was bending down to peer into the car.

"There you are," he said looking straight at his son. "I'm glad I found you."

"I bet you are," Edward replied, with a roll of his eyes.

"Hi, Dr C–… err I mean, Carlisle," Jasper greeted him, somewhat nervously. He had twisted around in his seat so that he could hide his hand behind his back.

Edward hadn't even bothered to hide his blunt. There was no point. The smell alone would give them away.

"Jasper." Carlisle gave him a court nod. "Do you mind letting me have your seat for a bit? I'd like to speak with my son in private. Please, feel free to head across the street and get yourself a milkshake or doughnut or something. My treat."

"Eh, sure." Jasper agreed, scrambling out of the car, while Carlisle got his wallet out.

"Sorry, kid. I don't have anything smaller than a fifty."

"It's okay. You don't have to pay me. I'll leave… It's no problem. Don't worry about me."

"Wait. How about a trade off. You take this and I take that thing you're hiding behind your back. And just so we're clear, if I ever hear about you doing something like this while my daughter is in your car, it's over. You'll never be alone with her again. I'll personally see to that!"

"Jesus, Dad. You're so embarrassing." Edward groaned then added mockingly, "Run, Jasper! Run! Save yourself."

"Dr Cullen. I promise, I'd never do anything reckless. I'm a responsible person," Jasper was quick to defend himself. Edward held back a snort as he watched his friend hand over the blunt without fuss. It didn't escape his notice that Jasper used his other hand to hide the Ziploc bag inside the waistband of his jeans.

"It's me. I'm obviously the bad influence here," Edward said, deciding to give his partner in crime a helping hand. "Jasper is as innocent as a deer accidentally getting high on fermented berries."

"Son, I didn't expect to find you in this high spirit tonight, considering the circumstances an all," Carlisle commented, getting into the seat Jasper had just vacated. He waved the other boy off, before adding. "But perhaps 'high' is the key word here."

"You think?" Edward said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, it's been a while, but I do seem to remember how we, as in me and my roommate, used to deal with stress and tension back in med school."

Then he surprised the hell out of Edward, by picking up the cigarette lighter Jasper had left behind and putting it to use.

"What? You already think I'm a hypocrite anyway," Carlisle commented, before bringing the blunt to his lips, taking a big drag.

"Feel free to puff away. Don't mind me," Edward responded with a shake of his head.

"So, you ran off before we could talk, Edward."

"I'm only human. I need some time to process. I reckon I'll need a few days to think it over, at the very least…."

"I understand. You got quite the shock tonight. But I don't think we have that much time to work with here… "

"Before the police come back looking for me, you mean?"

"Hey, this is good stuff," Carlisle commented, ignoring his question.

"Of course. You think I'd waste my money on shitty weed?"

"I don't know, you seem pretty good at wasting time on bad decisions," his father muttered. "Yes, the police will be back. Peter seems pretty certain of it. He's busy all day tomorrow with meetings and court proceedings. He said he can squeeze in a Face Time call with us right after breakfast though…. We're supposed to make contact with him at six thirty."

Edward groaned. "Have fun with that."

"Son, I'm not the one in trouble here."

"Well, you will be, if you go home to mom, smelling like you did in your frat-boy days. She's not stupid; she'll know what you've been up to."

"That's probably true. I'm counting on you having something to neutralize the smell with though."

"You shouldn't count on me for anything," Edward shot back with no shortage of sarcasm. "Haven't you heard? I'm officially the black sheep in the family now."

"That's not true. No one is thinking that of you."

"Everyone will be thinking that when they hear this latest news."

"No one that counts." His father put a strange emphasis on the last word, but Edward chose not to take the bait.

Instead, he focused on inhaling and holding the smoke in for as long as possible – at least 10 seconds – before exhaling again, and repeating.

Carlisle broke the silence. "You want to see her?" he asked.

"Bella? You bet I do!"

"Your daughter."

That sent Edward's anxiety skyrocketing in a matter of seconds. "Fuck no!" he snapped with surprising force, almost popping a vein.

His father didn't blink. "Please, think about it. It might help you come to grip with things faster."

"No, it won't. And that's final. I will not change my mind. It's not happening."

"I wish you'd reconsider. If, or when, official charges are filed, you might not get a chance to see her in a long while."

"What the F are you on about!"Edward felt nauseated and angry at the same time. "They are not going to charge me with anything, because I have done anything wrong."

"I know, son. That's not what I meant," Carlisle said calmly, trying to placate him. "We just need to look at this realistically. Chances are pretty high that someone will be charged with something here."

"Why? Because your new best friend Peter says so?!"

"That's not up to Peter to decide. It's the prosecuting lawyer assigned to the case who makes that shot. In general, they are often willing to settle for lesser charges or lighter sentences in exchange for a guilty plea-…"

"I'm not gonna plead guilty. Didn't you listen? I haven't done anything wrong."

"Not you, son. Isabella. They might try and get her to plead guilty to neglect and failure to report a death, in order to avoid a prolonged trial."

"Oh." Edward blinked, surprised even though there was nothing to be surprised about. It was unlikely Bella would walk away from this with no guilt, no repercussions,no consequences.

"What has happened here is so unusual and tragic that it has attracted a lot of media attention – a little too much attention, unfortunately. Isabella is the daughter of the local chief of police and you're the son of a wealthy, high-standing family in the same community. It won't look good if this is swept quietly under a rug. A dead fetus, or baby, was found – it's just a matter of time before we have pro-life activists and religious conservatives joining forces, calling for murder charges."

"What? NO! Can they even do that? She's just a minor? Bella doesn't turn eighteen until December."

"Minors can be charged and convicted of the same criminal activity as adults. There are also charges specific minor delinquents can face such as underage drinking or drug use," Carlisle paused to give his son a pointed look. "While minors are not punished as rigorously as adults, their futures may be just as affected by a conviction, if not more."

"It'd be dragged into it, wouldn't I? I'd have to take stand, testify and talk publically about being with her, as in having sex with her, and other personal stuff like that?" Edward asked, distractedly tugging at his own hair…hard. The pain helped him focus.

"If there is a trial, then yes. Which is why it would look better - both for your own sake, but also for Isabella's sake - if you were to own up to your actions straight away and start working on finding ways to take responsibility for your part in all this. We'll be helping Charlie financially, that goes without saying. You need to step up though Edward. There are some tough decisions to-… "

"I don't want anything to do with that baby! I just can't!" Edward responded, shocking himself when he realized how high his voice was.

"Calm down, son. Remember to breathe! Just take it easy and put your head between your knees if you're dizzy."

"Don't tell me what to do!" he snapped back. "I'm breathing just fine."

 _Where did that blunt go? Ah, it was still in his hand…. Actually, now he was feeling a little lightheaded, like someone had sucked all the air out of the car. Who stole the air?_

He must have said that last part aloud, because his father responded, "It's still here, you just need to focus on your breathing. Edward, calm down! You're okay, you just need to take a few deep breaths."

Time passed. A minute. Two. The world stopped spinning.

"You feeling any better?" Carlisle asked.

Edward stifled a few coughs and said. "Yeah, a little." Breathing was painful.

"I know this is overwhelming. And I get it if you're not ready to hear all of this now, but there is one more thing I need to tell you. One more thing you need to know and make a calm rational decision about."

"Calm? Rational? You're joking, right?"

"The hospital is offering a community candle lighting cermony in memory of all the babies who have died over the past year. They do this every fall. October is officially the Pregnancy and Infant loss remembrance month-..."

"No. Whatever you're going to ask, the answer is no." He knew what his father was suggesting and frankly it was such an absurd suggestion, it didn't even set off his anxiety.

"Let me finish first, then you can take half a minute to think about it before you turn down my suggestion, alright."

"Like that will change anything."

"Hear me out, okay. It's tomorrow at noon, so there is no time to get too nervous or worked up about it. A candle lighting ceremony is beautiful in its simplicity. It's not nearly as formal as a memorial service or a funeral-…"

"It's depressing that's what it is."

"Your mother and I were already planning on attending anyway as we'd been talking about doing something special to honor the child we lost."

"Good for you, but I'm not setting foot there." Edward shook his head.

"What if I tell you there is a slight possibility Isabella will attend."

"What?!" He'd been fumbling around for the door handle, but this had him stopping in his tracks and turning to face his father.

"Your mother suggested it to Charlie. He has agreed to at least try and persuade her to attend. He can't make any promises, but he'll try."

"She's not going to want to see me," Edward huffed, his chest burned with a fresh stirring of pain that wasn't entirely physical.

"You don't know that for sure. This could be a first step towards figuring things out."

"You're delusional if you think this will actually solve anything. " He continued to shake his head.

"Think about it, okay. You don't have to decide anything this very minute. Now, how about this…you'll call Jasper and I'll call a cab, then we high-tail out of here and go home."

"A cab? Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously."

Edward suddenly felt the sudden urge to giggle hysterically. Because, of course… Yep, no catching breaks here.

"Incoming twelve a clock," he told his dad, opening the glove box to dump what needed to be dumped.

Because, sure enough, right there, walking straight towards their car, was none other than Chief Swan. He was dressed in regular clothes, but he had a flashlight out and his free hand was tucked inside his coat, as if it was resting on a gun in a holster on his belt!

And he'd probably heard the news about the test result… because he sure didn't look happy…

For once Edward was actually glad his father had found him first.

"Oh, crap!" Carlisle sighed. "Son, let me handle the talking."

"Be my guest!"

.

….

.


	68. Chapter 68

**_(Mid day, following the conversation in Jasper's car)_**

 _._  
 _E pov_  
 _._

"Cuban tobacco? Seriously?" Emmett exclaimed to his brother over the phone."No really, you're kidding right? Haha, you almost had me there for a second!"

"No, I'm serious," Edward insisted. "Dad really did try and pass it off as some sort of larger leaf Cuban tobacco, that he said he'd smoked with me as part of an impromptu rite of passage - like a welcome to the grown up world thing."

As he spoke he cradled the phone between his ear and his shoulder so that he could stop walking for a second and bend down to tie his shoe laces. It took him twice as long as it normally would as he swayed a bit on his feet. His motor functions not entirely in sync with his brains commands it seemed. He shrugged it off though, figuring it was sleep deprivation getting to him. He'd been awake most of the night, only falling asleep at the break of dawn.

"And all this happened last night? What did Chief Swan say? Don't' tell me he bought that phony excuse?"

"Please. What kind of cop would he be if he couldn't tell ganja from tobacco? The ride home in his police cruiser was all kinds of fun… as I'm sure you can imagine."

As Edward straightened up again, he saw his mother waiting for him at the end of the path were the garden met the edge of the decked terrace. She looked impatient, as if she wished to be doing something else.

"I'm surprised no blood was shed, and no shots were fired." Emmett laughed his typical hearty laugh. "I mean, considering he's directly related to your baby-mama and very much affected by the all the drama you've caused."

"Oh, don't' remind me!" Edward muttered.

Just then, a throat was cleared from behind him, and an irritated voice said, "Pick up your pace, son."

"Hey, I'm awake, I've got my clothes on, I'm moving… What more do you want?" Edward shot back, not bothering to hide his irritation.

"Is that Dad, I hear?" Emmett asked over the phone.

"Yes, the grumpy old fart in the background is dad – the same guy that broke into my room and dragged me out of bed mere minutes ago. And now he has the nerve to tell me to move faster."

Carlisle rolled his eyes. "Get inside Edward! And lose the phone, you'll have plenty of time to speak with your brother later."

In an act of spite, Edward ignored his father. "Hey Em, did I mention I saw Jay last night. He told me to tell you hello. "

"Did he now?"

"Yup." Edward turned around and continued up to the patio door, where his mother was waiting for them. "He said 'tell your meathead of a brother hello'. He also said you'll be eating dirt next time he sees you."

"I'd like to see him try."

"Edward," Esme greeted him at the door with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Hurry up now. There is coffee in the kitchen."

"Yeah Eddie, listen to the rents and stop dragging your feet," Emmett teased."I'm so bored, and so hungry, I've been sitting here for ages, waiting for you to wake up."

It was then that Edward realized his brother was not in his dorm room in Seattle. No, his brother was sitting, phone in hand, in the kitchen he'd just entered.

"What the heck?! What are you doing here?" Edward nearly shoved Emmett out of his seat, in a non-aggressive way, of course, before he let himself be pulled in for a one-armed, bro-hug.

"Surprise!"

 _._

…

 _._

"…figured my little brother needed me, so I got in my car and drove here first thing... skipped breakfast and everything."

"You came alone?" Edward asked, or rather observed. "Did your charming girlfriend have other plans?"

"I think Rosie's plans involve locking her dorm room door and spending the entire weekend sleeping," Emmett replied, helping himself to another helping of bacon and eggs."She kind of needs it. She's been feeling a bit under the weather recently."

He made a beeline for the chopped sausage, but Esme moved the plate away. "Sorry to hear that, dear," she said motioning for Edward to take his share of the food on the table, before his brother could snatch up everything.

"Flu season is starting early this year. I predict it will be in full swing within the next month." Carlisle said stepping back into the kitchen after having stepped out for a few minutes to take a phone call.

"It's not the flu," Emmett answered, bread crumbs flying out as he spoke. "Nothing contagious. Don't worry."

"So the real reason you're here is because you're a looser that have no friends of your own and because whatever plans you had with your girlfriend fell through?" Edward concluded, taking a sip of his coffee.

"I'm here because I thought my little brother could use some support," he responded his voice surprisingly serious for a change. "This is one of those 'never in a million years did I think' situations…. Never in a million years did I think my control freak of a brother, who is scared shitless of germs and body fluids, would have a condom failure and get someone knocked up and not even know about it until months later…"

"Don't forget, he didn't just get someone pregnant, he's also been dragged into the most dramatic police investigation this town has seen in years." Alice announced, choosing that moment to come bouncing down the stairs.

"I haven't done anything wrong and I'm not a suspect. I have got no allegations against me," Edward muttered and turned to give his sister a harsh glare.

"I know you're not a suspect, that's not what I said," she corrected him.

She looked different for some reason. It took him a while to put his finger on why, but then he realized it was her hair... Her usually carefully styled spikes were neatly combed and pulled back with a headband.

"I used the phrase 'dragged into' as it implies this is all happening against your will," she added, as she reached the center of the room.

Not only did her hair look off, but she was dressed in black from head to toe…which never happened. She never wore monochrome outfits. Ever.

Emmett seemed to have noticed this as well."Where the hell did you get dressed, Al?" he asked with an raised eyebrow. "In the dark?"

"No, I think this is another attempt at impress Jaspers dad." Edward snorted.

"NO! There is nothing wrong with my outfit," she objected and smoothed out the ruffles of her flared skirt. "This is called being dressing for the occasion. Something both of you seemed to have failed to do - especially you, Edward!"

"Ouch, burn Eddie." Emmett pretended to wince.

"And what occasion would that be?" Edward frowned, looking down at his own clothes.

He was in a plain t-shirt and a pair of old, well-worn jeans. He'd grabbed both items straight out of the clean laundry pile and thrown them on in haste. He hadn't been joking when he'd told Emmett their father had dragged him out of bed. That was exactly what had happened. There was nothing wrong with his outfit. He was, however, definitely a bit underdressed compared to the rest of his family.

"In about five minutes we're gonna pile in to your mother's car and head on over to the hospital chapel for the candle lighting gathering," Carlisle spoke up. "We talked about this, son," he warned, seeing his Edward sit up straighter and open his mouth to protest.

"We did and you said you wouldn't force me to do anything I didn't want to… and also, what time even is it? I thought you said I'd have till like eleven, eleven thirty to decide."

"Edward, honey," his mother came over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I sent your father over to wake you at eleven sharp. We had seen no signs of you being up and awake and I was getting worried."

Huh? He looked over at the clock on the wall to confirm her statement. It showed that the time was nearing noon.

How could he have missed that he'd slept the entire morning away? His internal clock must be completely out of whack... That's what happens when you can't catch any sleep at night and your days get turned around.

He faced his parents again. "I'm not going anywhere," he declared stubbornly, raising his chin slightly.

"Edward, I really think it would be good for you-…" his mother started.

"I'm not going and that's final!"

"Oh, yes you are," his father said. "What if Isabella-…"

"She won't show. That's just not happening. Ask Alice, she'll say the same thing. No way in hell Swan would let herself be talked in to something like that."

"Gee, thanks for dragging me into this argument," Alice muttered, before adding, "He's right. I doubt Bella would show. Too much pressure, too much attention over something she doesn't even want to acknowledge."

"I'm not disagreeing. However, you're still coming with us, Edward," his mother commanded with finality in her voice. "If you don't want to participate with the rest of us, that's fine. You can wait in the car with your brother, and come inside afterwards. Do your own thing out of it."

"My own thing?"

"Allow yourself to take a moment to reflect and be alone with yourself and your thoughts. That's more important than you think."

"I should have skipped town while there was still time," Edward sighed as a form of acknowledgement that he understood reasoning and the rationale behind it.

There was no getting out of this. He was already in deep shit with his parents as it was. He wisely accepted that he should pick his battles.

..

…

.

 _ **Emmett's POV**_

.

Emmett McCarty Cullen was bored. Correction, he was extremely bored. He'd somehow ended up talked into babysitting his grown ass brother who was about as fun to be around as a sullen toddler, come to think of it… So, here he was, stuck in a car, parked in an half empty car park, with nothing to do and no one to talk to.

He would have loved to take the car in question -their mother's Mitsubishi Outlander- for a spin, but sadly he hadn't even been trusted with the car keys. His brother was considered a flight risk apparently.

How long did a candle lighting ceremony thingy last anyway? 45 minutes had passed already. He'd never taken part in one of those ceremonies himself, but surely there was no need to wait around for the last candle to burn out. Right?

Emmett was so bored, that he was trying to think of every synonym associated with the word, and even that was boring. He was an action oriented person, so waiting while doing nothing was extremely frustrating for him.

'You did volunteer, after all', he reminded himself.

Yes, he had. And he'd agree to do it again in a heartbeat No matter what, Emmett would do just about anything for his adopted family. It was pretty simple; he owed them his life - both literally and figuratively.

Sometimes he wondered if he would have even lived to see his eighteenth birthday, if newly divorced Esme Platt and her two children hadn't come barging into his life the way they had. He'd been a gangly preteen at the time and make no mistake, he hadn't been happy about the disruption.

He remembered coming home from school one afternoon, realizing something strange and unexpected was happening. His father had brought home a guest, and a female on at that. He remembered stopping short on the doorstep to the apartment, because one, he couldn't recall the last time there had been a guest in his home and two, the dishes were done and the kitchen was spotless. Now that was a sight he hadn't seen since his mother had passed away, years and years ago.

His surprise had not gone by unnoticed. Of course, his father had thrashed him good with his belt that night. He had not removed his cap and he'd not extended his hand in greeting to Miss Esme… Bad behavior like that couldn't go unpunished.

' _She's going to think I've raised a heathen. That is (smack)… not (smack)… acceptable!(smack)._

And just like that, the status quo had been shattered. It always followed the same pattern. Every now and then something would happen that would cause the violence to escalate.

This was nothing new though. Growing up, he had gotten it "beaten" into him many a times what his father really thought of him. ' _You're stupid - You're an idiot - You're an embarrassment - You're a bad child and you embarrass me."  
_  
Try as he might, Emmett had never been able to please his father in any task or responsibility set before him. He'd never been good enough in his father's eyes.

You'd think getting himself a girlfriend would get his father in a good, loving mood … WRONG! The ever present shoves and slaps suddenly had turned into full blown punches. It didn't help that Esme had gone from acquaintance to girlfriend to fiancée in record time.

Ironically, this new wave of violence that nearly broke Emmett, was ultimately what had actually saved him. Because his father was sloppy and carless... That was his first mistake. He wasn't creative enough in the way he delivered his punishments. The abusive bastard hadn't had to be careful about not leaving marks and bruises in years… No one had ever asked about the discolored skin, or the scars before…Esme did.

Also, and this was his father's biggest mistake, he did not always limit himself to only discipline Emmett…

What happened was that Esme's twins - Edward and Alice – had turned out to be a bit of a handful once they got over their initial shyness. Honestly, they were just kids being kids, but since there were two of them, they were twice as loud, twice as messy and twice as destructive, compared to what Emmett had been when he was the same age... They simply didn't know better. Like most kids they'd never taken a beating from their father for crying over a stubbed toe or scraped knee… Never been locked into a closet for wetting the bed… Never been physically punished for spilling milk, making a ketchup mess, or laughing too loud…

Eventually Esme must have caught on that something wasn't quite right. The bastard never did anything while she was in the room, of course, but every now and then one of her twins would end up on the receiving end of the verbal abuse. Sometimes a bit of a scuffle would follow – nothing too physical. However, it became quite noticeable that the kids weren't too impressed with their new 'daddy'.

While Esme didn't break off the engagement, she'd at least been smart enough to postpone the impending wedding. Now, of course, this decision did not sit well with the groom-to-be. And of course, he knew exactly who were to blame… This had been the catalyst that sent things over the edge, big time.

And just like that Emmett's life had changed again, in ways he could not have seen coming… It all happened so fast. The authorities would later on describe it as a case of acute and unexpected illness. Though Emmett knew the truth. His father had fallen victim of his own rage. By the time the ambulance had been called to the rural address of Esme Platt's rented bungalow it had already been too late. The outcome had been fatal - an aortic rupture that led to a massive hemothorax was the official word.

To be honest, his father's death had not been as random, or sudden as it might have seemed… but Emmett wasn't gonna tell… and no one was asking him anyway, seeing as he'd not been present when it happened. He was more than happy to let 'the how' and 'the why' be swept under the rug by the mighty Carlisle Cullen.

Strange, he hadn't thought about his old life in years. As far as Emmett was concerned, his life had started the day he'd been offered a new, permanent home with the Cullens.

Of course, he'd endured nearly six months of being in foster care before that happened. That was about as long as it took for a shell-shocked Esme to do some serious soul-searching, something that ultimately led to a reconciliation with her ex-husband. Her next decision had been to locate the orphaned, no-good-for-nothing-kid who'd been nothing but hostile towards her, just so that she could apologize to him in person for not seeing sooner what had really been going on.

Emmett had been officially adopted into the Cullen family nearly on the day three years after his father's passing. So yeah, he was pretty sure he owed the Cullens his life - both literally and figuratively.

But ugh… this was so not the right time to dwell on his less than stellar childhood.

Pulling himself back to present, Emmett picked out his phone and went online. He wasn't overly into that whole social media thing. However, he had actually taken a bit of a liking to twitter after having cyber-stalked a certain Rosalie Hale for six months straight. It was good distraction and he enjoyed keeping up with the latest gossip and buzz on the internet.

Of course, right now most of the local gossip seemed to revolve around his brother. Speaking of Edward… He'd almost forgotten he was supposed to keep an eye on his brother, so he threw a quick glance towards the backseat.

Thankfully, he hadn't moved since the last time he'd checked on him. He was doing what Edward did best, staring absentmindedly into the distance with an inward look.

"You realize you're famous now, don't you Eddie?" Emmett said, hoping to get his brother to respond in some way, even if it was just an eye roll. "Twitter is blowing up right now."

When no response came, he added, "Did you know almost every news outlet in the state has a piece about your precious Volvo in their news coverage?"

"Does it look like I care?" Edward muttered, still not tearing his eyes away from the window.

"You should, considering you're gonna have to get a new car after this all blows over."

That did it. Edward heaved a deep sigh and turned in his seat. "You just find this oh so funny, don't you?" Then, despite his initial act of complete disinterest, he surprised Emmett by adding, "Alright. What do they say? Enlighten me."

"I will. Give me a sec…. I was just reading through the tweets of this one police dude," he said, bringing his phone up again, so that he could locate the profile in question. "He's got a fancy title and everything… Listen to this - he's apparently the superintendent of Seattle Police communications & news affairs'. Anyway, according to the police you're officially a person of interest now."

"Excuse me?!"

"Let me read it for you…'Through meticulous investigation, #SeattlePolice detectives have identified a car - a silver metallic, Volvo C30 T5 - what we believe belongs to a person of interest in the #DumpsterBabyCase. Investigation continues'. So there you have it, and it's an official twitter account and everything."

"Great," Edward groaned, rubbing his face.

"Wait... there is more. That one was from last night, this is what they wrote this morning," Emmett said scrolling to read one of the more recent tweets. "Important for media reporting: The person of interest is alleged to have been in the area where a crime was reported. No arrests have been made and no charges have been filed. This person is not considered suspect at this time and is currently being questioned by detectives."

"They are talking shit… I don't see any detectives, do you?" Edward snorted.

"What does this guy know anyway? He's only the superintendent of Seattle Police communications & news," Emmett said with a shrug. "But seriously, why are they so hung up on your car when it didn't even leave the garage that night."

"Beats me," his brother shrugged. Then, in the same breath he added, "It would have made more sense if it was Jasper they were interested in. I mean, he must have driven from our place and into town and then back again at least six times before the party died down. You'd think they would have at least questioned him by now. Not that he knows anything but…"

"That's true. He might have seen something without realizing it."

"Yeah. I've already asked. He says, no. He saw nothing all night that stood out to him." Edward heaved another heavy sigh and turned to gaze out the window again. Not that he could see anything more than dark silhouettes. The back seat windows were tinted in a way that they obstructed harmful UV rays.

The conversation died down, each of them going back to what they'd been doing before. This time the silence was short lived though - three or four minutes at the most. Because, wow, in his quest for news updates, Emmett had just stumbled upon something unexpected… something BIG!

"Eh….Eddie, I think I've found the smoking gun," he said sitting up straighter in his seat. "You should see this!"

"See what?" his brother asked, sounding bored and annoyed at the same time.

"You know the knife they've got, right? The one they found in the woods, halfway between the pond and school."

"The one the police believe was used to cut the umbilical cords? Yeah what about it?" Edward asked with a frown.

"The Olympian has pictures of it online. Here. It's better you see for yourself," Emmett suggested, pushing his phone into his brothers hands.

"Oh fuck." Edward groaned after having stared at the screen for a moment.

"Oh fuck, indeed."

"Are those authentic? The pictures, I mean. Is that the actual knife, or…"

"Yep, says it's the actual knife and that the police have released the pictures in hopes someone will identify the owner," Emmett said as he got the phone back.

"It's not mine, if that's what you think." Edward insisted.

"You sure? It looks hella familiar, green handle and all. Identical to the one you own…"

"I do own one just like that, sure, but it's not like it's rare or anything. It's a pretty well-known brand, commonly found in most hardware stores."

Emmett was well familiar with the knife in question. All three siblings had been gifted a toolbox from their mother on their respective16th birthday. It was meant to be kept in the trunk of their cars in the case of an emergency. Apart from a multi-tool knife it held wrenches, torx, allen, screw drivers, plus duct tape, electrical tape and so on. Emmett's box was blue and the tools all had blue handles. Alice owned a pink one, of course. And Edward's…well, his box was green.

"I'm telling you, this is just a fluke. Mine is tucked away in the toolbox it came in." Edward insisted.

"Right, but where was that box the last time you saw it?"

"You know where it is. In the garage, in the trunk of my-… oh," Edward paused for a second when he realized it had been a leading question. "I keep it in my car."

"Exactly. Didn't you say the police searched your car and took tons of pictures?"

"Yeah, but they didn't find anything of interest. I mean obviously there was nothing to be found, seeing as dad took it to the cleaners just a few days prior."

"Well, looking at that picture I don't think this is about something they found …. I think their interest in your car is about something that should have been there, but was missing-..." Just then, sEmmett caught a movement in the corner of his eye that had him stopping in his tracks. "Shit, talk about the devil and the devil appears!"

"Who? Where?" Edward craned his neck to see who his brother was looking at.

"Cops, two of them," Emmett pointed with his chin."Should I call dad?"

"Yeah, you do that," Edward said, ducking down as if to hide himself behind the driver's seat. If he couldn't see out, they couldn't see in. "Tell him to get out here ASAP."

"Okay, okay... I'm on it," Emmett said, feeling a sudden surge of adrenaline as he started fumbling with his phone. Before he could get the call to connect though, a uniformed female police officer came up to the car and knocked on the window beside him.

"What should I do?" he hissed through the corner of his mouth.

"Stall them til dad get's here!" Edward hissed back.

"Okay, okay…" Emmett rolled the window down a tiny bit, less than an inch. "Hello officer, how can I help you?"

"Sir, I'm officer Heidi Burns. I'd like a word with your passenger," the police woman said, holding up her badge. While she spoke, the other officer strategically placed himself behind the car to block its escape.

"My passenger?" Emmett repeated for lack of anything better to say.

"Yes." She nodded. "And don't' say you don't have a passenger. We've been watching you for a while. We know you've got a certain Edward Cullen back there."

Oh boy… Everyone that knew Emmett, knew he couldn't lie for shit. "Oh…Well, I-.."

"It's okay," Edward suddenly cut in, straightening himself back up in his seat. "Just keep doing what you're doing, Em."

Emmett threw an apologetic look over his shoulder. "He isn't answering."

"Keep trying."

"Edward Cullen, will you step out of the car, please," Officer Burns instructed, through the open slit of the window.

"What for? I don't mean to be rude or cause offense, but I've been advised not to speak with you without my attorney being present."

"That's alright. You can call your attorney, but we are not waiting on him to get here. He can meet up with us at the station."

"You're taking me to the station? Why? I've already been down there, answering your questions once, isn't that enough?"

"Please, step out of the car," the officer repeated again.

By this time, the other officer came around the car to assist his colleague. "I'm Officer Fuller. You remember me Edward, don't you?" they guy said flashing his badge.

Emmett's watched the scene unfold before him, his head going back and forth like at a tennis rally.

Damn! Their father who rarely ever went anywhere without his phone had certainly picked the wrong moment to leave it at home, or turn it off or whatever…

"Now listen Edward," officer Fuller said, "There is a warrant out for you. It will look better for you if you come out of the car voluntarily. "

"A warrant?" Edward asked at the same time Emmett exclaimed, "what for?"

"Attempted murder, to start with."

Emmett had enough time to think 'Murder?! What the actual fuck!" Then the car door next to Edward was abruptly jerked open, startling both brothers.

It just so happened that neither Emmett, nor Edward had bothered to actually lock the car. Not that it would have made much difference to what happened next… well, other than adding obstruction to the charge sheet, that is.

"Edward Cullen you're under arrest. You'll have your rights read to you as soon as you are in handcuffs."

.

…

.


	69. Chapter 69

**-=[Isabelle Higginbotham, the present ]=-**

.

After her visit to the Biers, Bella spent the rest of the morning driving around aimlessly - further and further away on small isolated country roads. Aimlessly and without a purpose…

Or… well, it did have a purpose - she was trying to avoid spending hours upon hours alone in her hotel room. There was something about coming 'home' to an empty hotel room that just felt utterly depressing.

She did have plans for the afternoon though, plans that involved going over to the hospital to check up on Bree, and of course, spending a bit of time by Charlie's bedside. Before any of that could take place, however, she needed to bite the bullet and stop by Sue's house.

They had spoken on the phone the night before, finalizing the details for Sue's upcoming first visit to see Charlie over at the hospital. It had been scheduled for first thing in the morning and, of course, Sue grandly extended an invitation for Bella to come along with her. Bella had declined, in what she hoped was a firm but respectful manner.

Now there was nothing wrong with Sue's invitation, per say. It was just that Bella didn't think she could go through something like that without falling apart completely. This visit was something they both knew was likely to turn into a very emotional ordeal – a cry fest. In order to stay strong and keep herself together Bella knew needed to keep a safe distance to anything overly emotional. Sue had said she understood.

"I do expect to see you for lunch though. My treat. If you're feeling up for it, of course," Sue had told her, somehow managing to make her voice sound casual like she was extending an open-ended invitation, yet clear and commanding at the same time.

The thing was, Sue had lived in the same neighborhood for more than 15 years. So this all meant that in order to visit her, Bella would have to drive up the street and past the house where her teen self had lived with her father all those years ago.

Talk about taking a trip down memory lane!

For a brief second she contemplated to just keep on driving and never look back. However, a quick glance at the gas meter told her she wouldn't get very far. Besides, it would have been a bit counterproductive considering she was there to face demons, not run away from them.

.

….

.

The time was a quarter to one in the afternoon, when Bella parked her rental car on the curb, not far from the driveway, where Sue's Skoda Octavia sat in its usual spot.

She grabbed her things from the passenger seat and stepped out, locking the door behind her.

The house on the other side of the street – Charlie's old house- was calling her name.

Part of her ongoing plan for recovery meant allowing the memories to resurface without dwelling on them. However, she had this lunch date with Sue to sit through first and it was bound to be emotional and physically draining affair.

'Don't be so dramatic, it's just a friendly social visit,' she tried to argue with herself.

'Sure, but not many social visits involve discussing if and when to turn off someone's life support machine', her traitorous mind talked back to her.

Dang, that was true. She hoped it would be a short discussion, a non discussion even. After all, there was only one humane thing to do. Surely, Sue would agree. Right?

"Focus! One hurdle at the time," she reminded herself and pulled the hood of her jacket over her head to shield her eyes and avoid the temptation.

Her arrival had apparently not gone unnoticed. The front door was thrown open, before Bella had even hit the first porch step.

"There you are, I was afraid you wouldn't show!" Bella was greeted by the warm, familiar voice of her father's girlfriend.

She tried for a "Hello Sue!" which came out as "mghmmmh" when she was pulled into a tight hug.  
.

…

.

The meal so far had been surprisingly amiable, which didn't dampen the anxiety building at the back of Bella's mind.

Turns out she needn't have worried. Sue made it easy on her. She listened. And she heard.

"It's not an uncomplicated decision to make, but I think you're making the right one. If we do nothing, he'd be trapped in this vegetable state for God-knows-how-long. Your father would not have wanted that."

"But your religion-…"

"My religion is mine and your religion is yours," Sue said simply, passing over the bowl of soup.

Bella thanked her and took a large spoonful. It was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted… or, the best thing she'd had all week at least.

"Your father didn't care much for religion."

"Charlie was atheist, almost devoutly so," Bella felt the need to point out, just to be clear.

"But a good man."

"Yes, of course." Bella hesitated, biting her lower lip.

Thankfully, Sue seemed to sense her dilemma. "I'm grateful you're taking my wants and needs into consideration. I mean what I said though, I can live with whatever decisions you make about this."

"Okay," Bella said, still a bit unsure. "If it is okay with you, I think I'd like to do this as simple as possible." She took another nibble of the piece of baguette in her hand to gather her thoughts before proceeding.

After chewing thoroughly and swallowing, she continued. "No Shaman, no priest, or minister... Just us, the family, and any friends you feel should be present"

"That sounds good. I do have a wish though, or rather a suggestion," the older woman answered softly, looking down at her hands and twisting a tissue in her lap.

Eager to please, Bella nodded. "Anything, you name it."

"The date…. Can we pick Sunday, nine days from now? It's a date that would have held a special meaning - an anniversary of sorts."

"Anniversary... of what? Your first date?"

"Not exactly," Sue answered sheepishly, "Er, we kind of skipped the first date… and second and third, if you get my drift."

"Oh—" Bella started, but then realization dawned on her. "Say no more!"

 _She REALLY didn't need to know about THAT.  
_  
She forced herself back to the topic at hand – the proposed date. Nine days seemed like an eternity, yet at the same time shockingly short. She was just about to make a comment about this, when a sudden noise interrupted her.

Because, in that precise moment, a knock on the front door was heard, shortly followed by a voice calling out, "Hello? Anyone home?"

"In the kitchen," Sue responded, seemingly not surprised to hear that someone had opened the front door and was making their way through the house.

She must have seen Bella's look. "Don't worry, I know that voice. I believe it's my niece," she said, and then proceeded to make herself presentable by smoothing out her clothes and dabbing under her eyes with the tissue.

 _Her niece? But that meant-…_

"Welcome home, Sue! I brought you some-… Oh, sorry. I didn't realize you had company." Emily Young halted on the doorstep, frowning.

"It's all right. Bella came over for lunch. You didn't see the big, shiny rental car parked under the big oak outside?"

"No, strangely enough I must have missed that," Emily said, before turning to Bella "Hi Isabella. It seems, great minds think alike," she paused to set down a bulging deli bag on the kitchen table. "I brought food. You brought food. I recognize the Jimmy John bags."

"Oh, looks that way," Bella nodded. Jimmy John's was the sandwich bar across the street from her hotel where she'd picked up the baguettes she'd brought. "I can't take credit for anything but the bread though. There was soup already heating on the stove when I got here."

"Come in, Emily. Sit down!" Sue pulled out a chair, patting the seat. "Your mother was here with a casserole this morning. I may be facing a devastating crisis, but I do still know how to feed myself."

"You don't have to handle everything yourself, you know." Emily gave the woman a warm hug. "I wasn't sure you'd had opportunity to restock your groceries yet. Also, I've been collecting your mail. I thought you'd want it straight away. "

"Oh, of course. I didn't even realize someone had emptied the mailbox," Sue said smacking her forehead, as if she couldn't believe she'd missed that detail. "Thanks, dear! But please sit down. There is certainly enough foodto feed one more mouth."

"I don't want to impose. You must have important matters to discuss,"

Emily said throwing a quick glance at Bella, one that didn't go unseen by Sue.

"Don't worry about interrupting. It was probably for the best. I know I, for one, could use a break from the heavy topics right about now. Surely, you can stay and distract me with some small talk for a bit."

"Alright, but only if it's okay with you Bella?" Emily said, checking her watch. "I mean, I do need to eat something, before heading back to work. And I'm dying to hear what's new with Leah and Hawaii."

Two sets of eyes turned to her expectantly.

"Please stay," Bella forced out. It sounded insincere, even to her own ears, probably because she had hesitated a second too long.

She schooled her face to relax into a neutral expression and tried again. "I mean it, Emily. Stay. The soup is delicious."

And just like that it was settled.

"It certainly smells great," Emily replied and sat down at the table.

.

…

.

The air in the kitchen was tense but not awkward as they finished the meal. Bella had offered to load the dishwasher afterwards to give Sue and Emily some time to catch up on Sue's trip, Leah and all things Hawaii. That was five minutes ago though and now she was trying to look busy,so she wouldn't have to join the other two. 

"Please, leave that," Sue said, suddenly reappearing at Bella's side, taking the pot out of her hand. "I'll hand wash that later."

"Oh, that's okay. I can do it," Bella tried to insist, but Sue wouldn't budge. "Isabella, you're my guest. You've done more than enough already."

"Hey Sue, didn't you say you had photos to show me?" Emily cut in, giving Bella a little smile, to let her know she was making a deliberate attempt to distract their host."

"Yes, I did. Thank you for reminding me." Sue put the pan down again and dried her hands on a kitchen towel. "I'll be back in a minute. I just need to fetch my camera from upstairs."

Bella and Emily waited in silence as the older woman's footsteps faded.

And then they both started talking at once, voices overlapping.

"Bella, I'm sorry-..."

"Can I say something-..."

Then they both stopped and looked at each other.

Emily tried again. "Can I go first? Please?I really need to get this off my chest," she pleaded.

"Okay, shoot," Bella agreed a bit warily, knowing she'd probably end up regretting giving the other woman free rein to speak her mind.

"I want to apologize for how I acted the other day. I went too far. I shouldn't have said things that wasn't my place to say. Also, I didn't realize how serious the situation with your father's heart attack was and still is. I didn't realize that there is no recovery on the horizon, that he's never waking up again."

Bella frowned, creasing her forehead. "Who told you? Leah?"

 _Or is Charlie's fate common knowledge around town already? Of course, she didn't say that last part aloud._

"Yeah, I admit the way you showed up at my workplace the other day had me curious, so I called Leah that very night. I would have found out eventually anyway, seeing as Sue and my mom keep continuous contact. But don't worry, both mom and I, know to keep what's private, private."

"Yeah, right," was what Bella wanted to say, but didn't. Instead she settled for, "Fair enough," letting the subject drop.She looked away for a second before continuing. "I appreciate the apology. Really, I do. I know you didn't mean any of the things you said in a malicious way."

"I didn't. And thanks." Emily dipped her head in gratitude. "Your turn. You wanted to tell me something…?"

"Well… I just wanted to say that I've thought about what you said and I get it. I know it was a bit unfair of me to question your loyalties."

Emily was shaking her head at these words, as if she was ready to jump in and argue her standpoint once more.

"No, let me finish.," Bella protested holding up a hand. "Just because you can't support Bree's case openly, doesn't necessarily mean you can't help and support the girl privately. After all, you'll be directly involved in her day-to-day school time."

" That goes without saying. Of course, I'll help her any way I can."

"Good! I just wanted you to know that I get it. You do what you have to do, in order to stay safe. That's perfectly understandable. Just like it's perfectly understandable there are certain people you can't cut out of your life - not if you want to continue living and raising your child in this town."

"I guess, you if anyone would 'get it'," Emily began in a calm tone. "Listen, I know that you have your own issues with Sam - and his, what did you call them, pack? – but he's not all bad. No to defend him or anything, but he's really been trying to become a better person lately. He's not using anymore, he's gotten help and he's clean now. I don't necessarily want to get back together with him, but I want my son to have a relationship with his father and I know Sam really wants to be a good dad to our son."

"Okay, if you say he's trying, I'll have to take your word for it."

Bella badly wanted to shake her shoulders to knock some sense into the girl. 'If he's trying to control you, he is bad news.'

Sure, she'd been gone for a while, but how much could a person like Sam really change? The Sam Uley she had once known had not only been controlling, but he'd been violent too. Generally speaking, individuals who lean more to the aggressive side tend to ignore the wants and needs of others, forcing their own needs and opinions onto those around them. They threaten, they lie, they bully, and get away with it.

"I can take care of myself. I'm my own person," Emily said sternly, as if reading Bella's thoughts. "I make my own decisions."

"It's not just you anymore though, it's you and your baby." Bella pointed out. "You said Sam's clean now – since how long? Are we talking years? Months? Weeks? Is he getting professional help? Going to meetings and such? Are you? Can you handle a relapse? Because there will be relapses into old habits and phases of strugglealong the way."

"You make it sound like he was a major junkie. That's not true. Sam's drugs of choice ranged from weed to crack with the occasional crystal meth binge. And alcohol, of course. I'm not saying that's not serious enough of a problem, but his main issue was more a drug interaction thing, then anything else. He was mixing his weed with other substances that simply don't mix well, if you get my drift."

Bella couldn't help but snort at that one. "So you're saying he was self-medicating , that he was popping Oxy or Adderall all the other kids in this hypocrite town?" Bella asked at the same time as they heard Sue in the stairs. She was on her way down again and would be back in the kitchen real soon.

Emily shook her head 'no', before adding, "You're smart. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"I-…" Bella started, but didn't get a chance to finish.

.

..

.

"Sorry, it took me so long. My bags are only partly unpacked," Sue apologized, handing over an older looking digital camera to Emily.

"Oh, cool," Emily said, taking the camera over to the kitchen table. "I'll have a look real fast. I don't have much time though. I need to start thinking about heading back to work."

"I've got something for you as well, Bella." Sue said tugging at her arm.

Bella turned to look at… well, she wasn't sure what it was?

It looked like a collection of brightly colored post-it notes, mixed with a handful of other, more neutral looking, scraps of paper. All of them tied together in a bundle, with what appeared to be a black cotton ribbon.

Odd.

"What the heck is that?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I'd say it looks like random school-girl mementos. Drawings, notes, poetry, ticket stubs, things like that," Sue replied, extending both hands as if presenting a gift. "Leah was on a cleaning spree a few months back and I guess she found these when she was throwing out some old boxes with high school stuff. She says they are yours." Sue turned the bundle ove,r pointing at something, "See, this right here? It's a get well note, signed 'Angie'. I assume that's the Weber girl you used to be friends with."

Having both her curiosity and dread piqued, Bella took a closer look… And oh, she knew she shouldn't have.

"And… if you lift the corner and peak underneath it, you'll see a drawing. It looks like a Daisy Duck caricature... possibly." Sue continued.

"It IS Daisy Duck, but drawn in the shape of a swan. Emmett McCarthy made that," Bella admitted with a frown.

"Emmett McCarthy? Are you saying Emmett McCarthy left you love notes in high school?" Emily asked incredulously, whipping around in her chair.

"Nah, he used to make me these silly drawings, sometimes whole comic strips, always with bird themed jokes. It was a gag thing, a play on my last name."

"That's cute. You must have thought so too, seeing as you obviously saved them."

"I don't get how these ended up with Leah in Hawaii?" Bella asked, turning back to Sue.

"Beats me," the older woman replied with a shrug "Leah told me to give them to you and for you to call her when you've had time to look them over. You're not allowed to just chuck them out without looking at them. Those were Leah's direct orders."

"Oh… okay." Bella accepted the bundle as if it was something poisonous. "Tell her you've done your part and that I'll get in touch with her later." 

"Shoot!" Just then Emily shot up from her chair so fast it almost fell over. "Look at the time! I've gotta run or I'll be beyond late." With that she put the camera down, waved her goodbye to Bella and kissed Sue on the cheek, before making her way towards the door.

"Thanks for the help with the mail and drive carefully!" Sue called out after her.

"Will do. I'll speak to you later!"

Bella decided to ride the momentum and follow suit. She thanked Sue for the meal, for listening and for the consideration given.

"I was never an easy teenager to put up with. But through all the bad times I have learnt many lessons and I realize now that all you ever wanted was what was best for me – you and dad."

"You were very closed off. Reserved. Almost hostile, at times, but never mean-spirited. But, that was then and now is now. I mean look at you now," Sue said, hands going up in the air in a proud gesture. "The struggles you've had to endure have made you into such a strong person. At such a young age it's truly amazing."

"I'm not THAT strong."

"Your father has always said you'd find your way back to Forks eventually. He's been waiting for you, waiting for a chance to tell you how proud he is of the person you've become."

"As much as I appreciate you telling me this, Charlie really should have told me this himself though. He could have easily done so, over the phone, or in an email, or something… Or if he wanted to do it in person, it's not like we never saw each other, never talked. Why did it have to be on his terms?" She placed a hand on Sue's arm. "Don't answer that. I know that's just how he was. It's frustrating that communication between us was always so…. very challenging."

"Communication is a two way street, you know."

True. Very true.

In the days to come, Bella would think back to this moment and marvel at the domino effect of events this conversation had set off.

 _Do it_ _now. Tomorrow it could be too late!_

.

…

 **.**


	70. Chapter 70

Chapter 70

.

...

.

*-=[Isabelle Higginbotham, the present ]=-*

.

Stepping outside the hospital building Bella let out a loud sigh.

She paused to button up her jacket against the cold and to look up at the sky. It was getting late. Dusk had come and very few stars were visible through the dark clouds that billowed in the atmosphere above the city.

She sighed again - nothing like a flat tire to screw up your day.

Her otherwise reasonably drama-free lunch over at Sue's place had ended on a sour note to put it mildly. Sue had insisted on walking Bella to her car, but once outside they found the car leaning heavily to one side.

Inspection revealed a pretty noticeable puncture-hole in the rubber. It was a long straight cut, which made Bella think maybe someone had slashed it on purpose. She didn't mention this suspicion to Sue though. Honestly, for all she knew, she could have run over a nail or spike of some kind earlier in the day. However, her gut feeling told her otherwise.

Either way, she'd spent the better part of the afternoon waiting at the tire shop to have it replaced. She knew she shouldn't complain though. Not only was she getting it replaced on the same day, but even more miraculously, it wasn't going to make too big of a dent on her savings. All thanks to Sue, who knew someone that knew someone… Probably someone that owed her (or Charlie) a favor, because all it took was one single phone call. And just like that she'd managed to arrange to have the car towed and the damage assessed for free. Bella still had to pay for the new tire, of course, and a wee bit labor cost, but all in all it wasn't too bad.

Only problem was that the whole thing had taken up a big chunk of time. The afternoon visiting hours were already over, by the time she made it to the hospital. This meant she hadn't been able to see Bree at all. Thankfully, they were a little more lenient with the visiting hours over at intensive cardio care unit where Charlie was at.

She'd never intended to be out alone after dark like this, but not only had she arrived later than planned, but also stayed past her regular hours. It had been a long emotional day and now all she wanted was to get to her car and drive back to the hotel. Maybe the sheer exhaustion would allow her to get more than a few hours of sleep that night.

As Bella walked past the first few cars on the parking lot, she suddenly got this eerie feeling she was being watched. She turned and looked about quickly, but couldn't detect any movements. Everything seemed dark and still.

She released a sharp breath and scolded herself for imagining things. It wasn't even THAT dark. Sure, there were a few street lights that were not functioning properly, but she still had the tall, brightly lit hospital building behind her, providing ample light. She could actually already see her car in the distance.

Wait, what was that? She had definitely heard something this time... something resembling footsteps! There it was again! Straining her ears, there was no mistaking it. This wasn't imagination. This was real.

She whipped around again, trying to find the source of the footsteps – but again no one was there. The area was deserted.

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she weighed her options – she could turn back, or she could continue onand hope it's just squirrel or a bird or something.

The next working street light was at least fifty feet ahead and then she had another thirty feet or so to reach her car – still much closer than turning back though.

With her aim locked on that next street light, she quickened her steps, all the while humming quietly to herself. She also made sure to slip her hand into her pocket and grip her iPhone. It made her feel better. Safer.

It turned out to be a false sense of security however, because just as she reached the circular patch of light she'd been aiming for, she was suddenly yanked backwards. Before she had realized what was happening, someone had grabbed her from behind and clamped a gloved hand over her mouth.

At first she froze in fear, thinking these were going to be the last seconds of her life. When neither death, nor unconsciousness occurred, she burst into a furry of action.

She fought against her restraints with all the strength she had. She kicked and flailed, but it did nothing. She managed to elbow the offender once or twice, drawing a few pained grunts, but the hand over her mouth didn't budge.

She was stuck in a vice-like grip, and it wasn't letting go. Her panic grew and made her movements uncoordinated and clumsy. She couldn't breathe and she was getting more and more desperate to get the hand off her mouth. Little red dots burst in her eyes as darkness threatened to take over.

'Don't let yourself be taken to a second location' was the thought that kept running through her mind. Don't let him drag you into the bushes. Don't let him take you to a car.

There wasn't much she could do though. She was seconds away from passing out. She recognized the signs, soon everything would go black around her and there was little she could do about it. She allowed her knees to give away so all her body weight fell to the ground. She made herself heavy.

Suddenly, a voice broke through the silence of the darkness. It sounded odd, almost demonic… Was her mind playing tricks on her? Could the lack of oxygen have triggered hallucinations? She wasn't sure…. Still, she couldn't not listen to whispers floating around her.

" _How does it feel to destroy lives, you dirty cheating whore?"_

" _Killer!"_

" _Child murderer!"_

 _"Why are you still here? You need to go away and never_ _come back!"_

"Or what?" Some vaguely sane part of her mind protested. "What will you do? Hit me? Rape me? Kill me?"

" _Kill you?_ _I won't have to. You'll do it_ _yourself, just like your mommy did…_ _"_ was the reply she got.

Then everything grew dark and quiet for real this time.

.

…

.

Bella shifted uncomfortably, something sharp was digging into her back. It was a stone, she realized. She was lying on gravel. Her back, her side, her hip stung with the sharp stones. She was on the ground. Why was she on the ground? There was a muffled pounding in her head. Was that her heartbeat?

"Can you hear me?"

Her entire body jerked and her eyes flew open for a brief second before she closed them again. Who was that? The voice sounded familiar...and safe…and concerned.

"You okay Swan? Can you hear me? "

Well, this was surreal, yet very real at the same time. She was fairly certain Emmett McCarthy of all people was leaning over her, talking to her. Of all the people that could have come to her rescue, it had to be a Cullen?!

"Her eyes fluttered," she heard Emmett say from somewhere above her. "I think she blinked. Bella, blink your eyes again if you can hear me."

She wanted to… but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to move. She remained still and didn't give a peep.

"No response," Emmett concluded after a few seconds. "I could carry her, but maybe we need to get paramedics here," he continued, his voice louder than before and Bella realized he was talking to someone else.

Apparently there was at least one other person around. She couldn't hear what if any response Emmett got, but she knew she had to say something.

She started out by moving her head, shaking it from side to side a few times while blinking furiously. She definitely didn't want paramedics, or anyone else getting in her personal space.

"Oh, so you are awake? That's good. Don't be scared now, Bella. I'm gonna lift you off the ground. We're gonna get you inside and have a doctor take a look at you."

"No," she managed to croak. Her voice was hoarse, so she gave out a small cough. "I'm fine."

Bella thought she heard something resembling a chuckle. "Stubborn as always. No, you're not fine. You expect me to take a word you say seriously, if you can't even open your eyes long enough to look at me."

"I am FINE," she repeated, finally summoning up the courage to open her eyes full and turn her face towards the voice to meet his steel blue stare.

"Hi, Swan. Glad you decided to wake up. You had us scared there for a while."

"Uhm... hi Emmett. Can you… maybe… not touch me?" she requested, immediately feeling bad as she sensed that his concern was real. "Just need a second… to catch up…on my breathing." She managed to get out as she pushed herself up to a sitting position.

"Of course. Sorry. You were lying unconscious on the ground when we got here. Did he hurt you? Are you injured? I couldn't see anything-…"

"You saw him?" Bella interrupted him, dusting some leaves and grass off her legs. "The attacker, I mean. You saw him?"

"Uhm, yeah. I mean, I didn't see his face or anything. I think he had on some sort of ski mask or something"

"Yes, ski mask and gloves. I wasn't sure if that was real or not," Bella responded, before she could stop herself. "I mean, I know I was on my way to my car when someone snuck up behind me and grabbed me, scaring the living daylight out of me. After that however, it's pretty much a blur... I think my mind was playing tricks on me, making it hard to determine what really happened."

"Bella, did you hit your head when you fell to the ground?"

Slowly she felt a giggle bubble up from nowhere, and she wondered if she was becoming hysterical. "I can see why you'd ask that, but no, my head is fine. I'm not hurt. He did not hurt me, other than obstructing my air supply, hence my current grogginess."

"Okay, that does it. We're getting you inside. You need to be properly examinedby a medical professional."

Bella rolled her eyes, but then she thought of something, "Where did he go?"

"What?"

"The guy with the ski mask?"

"Oh, he started running when he heard us shouting. He was already long gone by the time we got here."´

"Who's we?" she wanted to ask, but didn't, afraid of what his answer might be. In some deep, dim part of her mind, alarm bells were going off.

"How did you get here so fast?" she asked instead. "The parking lot was deserted. I thought I was done for."

"Uhm..." He cleared his throat. "Funny you should ask. Eddie lives right across the street." He gestured vaguely behind him.

And the bells turned into sirens…. "Eddie?"

"Yeah, my brother, Edward," he answered, his forehead lined with what looked to be concern. "Isabella Marie Swan, are you sure you didn't hit your head?"

She didn't correct him on the name, though she hadn't felt like Isabella Marie Swan in a really long time. Instead she replied with, "Yes, Emmett McCarthy Cullen, I'm absolutely certain I did not hit my head."

That didn't seem to convince him though. "I'm taking you inside to see a doc."

"No, you don't have to-…"

"You were unconscious mere minutes ago. I'll carry you inside kicking and screaming if I have to."

He probably would, she realized as she watched him bend down and stretch out his arms as if ready to scoop her off the ground.

"I can walk. Seriously, I'm fine," she insisted, quickly getting to her feet – too quickly it seemed, as she swayed and had to brace herself with her hands on her knees not to double over.

"Bella, you don't look so 'fine' to me. Please, let us help you!"

"Us?" This time she couldn't let it slide. "I heard you talking to someone earlier. It was Edward, wasn't it?" she inquired as she finally straightened her back.

"Yes. As I'm sure you remember, Edward is not much for confrontations. He's still a chicken shit like that, but yeah, he's the one that got here first and right now I believe he's hiding in the shadows over there," Emmett answered, pointing with his thumb backward over his shoulder. "Or he was there a few minutes ago… " He started looking around as if he wasn't sure where he'd last seen his brother."Oh well, guess he took off once he saw that you were alright."

"Charming as always," Bella snorted, both relieved and mildly insulted at the same time. This was the second time he'd disappeared on her… if you count the near encounter from outside the Newton's.

"We can't all be gentlemen," Emmett shrugged, offering his arm in an invitation. "You ready, Swan?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Nope." He laughed. "You do know what I do for a living, don't you?"

"Can't say I do." She peered up at him, trying to remember if she'd ever heard anything about what he'd been up to since finishing college. She had a vague recollection that it was something security-related, like event security, or something like that."Whatever it is you do, I have a feeling it involves rounding up unruly people on a daily basis … Are you a kindergarten teacher?"

"Ha! Interesting guess, but no. I'll tell you once we're inside. I think you're gonna get a kick out of this one. Now come on, let's roll!"

.

….

.


	71. Chapter 71

Chapter 71

.

...

.

*-=[Isabelle Higginbotham, the present ]=-*

.

"See, I told you I was fine."

As they exited the hospital lobby Bella dug around in her pockets for her car keys, only to realize she had already handed them over to Emmett in a moment of weakness.

"Yeah, you did tell me that. Sorry I couldn't just take your word for it. Though, you heard the doctor in there." Emmett paused to motion at the hospital building behind them. "You've just had a traumatic experience. You may think you're fine now, but it may hit you later how close you came to-… well you know."

"Emmett, I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me tonight. I owe you a massive debt of thanks. However, I'm beat – I need a decade or two of rest. So…. _"_ Reaching out, she held her hand expectantly in front of him. "If you give me my car keys, I'll get out of your hair and let you get home to your wife and kids."

"Forget it Swan. You really think that I am going to let you leave on your own? I'll go with you and make sure you get to where you need to be safely and in one piece." He was shaking his head from side to side. "Give me a few minutes. Let me get my stuff together. Alright?"

"You really don't have to do this. It's fine, just walk me to my car and I'll handle it from there. I mean how much trouble could I possibly get into in one evening? It's only a twelve minutes ride to the Lumber Baron, fifteen if I have to stop for a red light."

"So that's where you're staying? The Lumber Baron Inn? I didn't want to pry, but I thought maybe you'd be staying over at S-…"

"Sue's place? Oh, she did offer, I just didn't feel comfortable staying there. Too many memories… You know, from when I used to live across the street from her."

"Fair enough. But if you're not staying with Sue, then all the more reason for me to insist on give you a ride home. I promise you, I'm not trying to make a move on you, or anything creepy like that, I really just want to make sure you're safe. Just give me a sec to get this sorted."

"Come on, Emmett. I'm serious. You don't have to do this. Besides, I can't leave my rental car here all night. With my luck lately, it's gonna get trashed or stolen."

"Alright. We'll take your car. No problem. I can walk back here afterwards. Like you said it really isn't that far."

Okay, fine… whatever. But if we're doing this, we're doing it now. I'm sorry if I seem rude or ungrateful, but I'm cold and I don't want to stand around here all night." She turned around and started walking in hasty steps towards her car.

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Emmett break into a jog to follow her, which if she was being honest with herself, was just was she had been hoping for. She was pretty rattled by the whole thing and the parking lot didn't seem any less dark and unnerving now, than it had half an hour before.

"Okay, Okay. But I still need to make a phone call. I still need to check on my-… well, on Edward."

"That's fine, but can't you walk and talk at the same time?" She sighed, but still paused to let him catch up.

She knew she'd be a mess right about now, if Emmett hadn't insisted on following her around like a bad smell, refusing to go away.

She would have to get this guy a huge gift basket of baked goods or something.

Emmett was one of the good guys. Always had been.

.

…

.

"So…" Emmett cleared his throat. "That was Edward," he told her slipping his phone back into his pocket.

"I gathered that much…" Bella said, surveying him as he leaned against the car.

"I guess you probably heard that whole thing, huh?"

"Heard what?" Bella feigning innocence even though I knew exactly what he was talking about. Even if she'd only heard one side of the phone conversation, it wasn't difficult to piece together what was about to happen in the next couple of minutes.

"Eddie's coming over here with some stuff I left over at his place," Emmett said, confirming what she already knew.

Edward was on his way over…. Edward wanted to see her….

"It's just my gym bag and my jacket. I tried to tell him not to bother, seeing as I'm planning on coming back for my car… but he simply wouldn't listen. Guess, he REALY wanted to come here and say hi to you in person."

"He probably just didn't want your gym bag stinking up his apartment," Bella joked, but her voice sounded small and a bit frail even to her own ears.

She wasn't sure how she felt about this. Coming face-to-face with her past would undoubtedly threaten to ruffle her carefully pieced together present. There was a rising sense of panic, of course, but also a feeling that something inevitable was about to happen, something that couldn't be escaped.

"It will be fine, Bella," Emmett replied as if sensing she was trying to hold her internal freak-out at bay. "He isn't doing this to cause any trouble, or start any fights."

"Well, excuse me for feeling a bit wary about all this. The last time I saw your brother, I watched him take one look at me and then turn around and run in the opposite direction. Did he tell you about that?"

"If you're talking about what happened outside Newtons? Then yes, I heard about that." He'd moved so that he was blocking the car door on the driver's side. He was actually, standing with his arms crossed over his broad chest, which had her wondering, briefly, if Edward had given him orders to make sure she wouldn't leave before he could get there.

"He fled, like literally took off running," she pointed out _, hugging herself_. She was shivering, not because she was cold but because she was nervous… big time.

"He didn't mean anything by it. It just took him by surprise, seeing you there in the flesh with little prior warning … It wasn't that he didn't want to see you, what threw him was that you were there with Jess, meaning there was no privacy to be had what so ever…"

"And earlier tonight? I heard you guys talking. He was there. And then he was gone—poof! Just vanished."

"I think he just needed time to cool off before talking to you. He was pretty worked up in the adrenaline-pumping way - understandably so, seeing as he watched the whole thing unfold and-.."

"He watched?!"Bella interrupted him. "What do you mean he watched?"

"Uhm… the thing is, he lives right across the street." Emmett paused to point out a low-rise, brick-and-concrete apartment complex pretty darn close to the parking lot. "I think I mentioned that earlier, didn't I? His living room window faces the street and you can see all the way to the hedge at the back of the parking lot from there."

"Oh…."

"Yeah. So, it went down as follows - I stopped by Eddie's place on my way home from a meeting. I hadn't heard from him all day, so I thought I'd check up on him. He hates it when I do that, stopping by unannounced, but oh well… Anyway, I noticed straight away that he seemed distracted... Turns out the distraction was you. He'd seen you arrive earlier in the evening and was keeping an eye on your car, hoping to catch a glimpse of you again."

"I-… what? Really?"

"Ever since we found out about what happened to your dad, we've kind of been keeping our eyes out for you." He shoved his hands into his pocket before he continued. "I mean, we figured you'd be contacted about it -well duh, you're his only child and all – we just couldn't be sure whether you'd actually come visit him or not. But then we started hearing rumors that you'd been sighted in and around the hospital… so that's when we knew for sure you were back."

"Oh." She wasn't sure what to say to that. "I got here as fast as I could after the hospital tracked me down…"

Emmett held up a hand, indicating he had more he wanted to say. "I don't think it's a coincidence that Edward has been considerably more antisocial lately than he normally would be. He's barely left home, except for work and food etc this past week."

"Riiight, because he doesn't want to risk bumping into me randomly on the street. How very considerate of him," she concluded with a sigh.

"Honestly, it's not that he doesn't want to see you, it's more that he has this irate fear of bumping into you before he has figured out what he wants to say to you. In the meantime he hides and watches you from afar. At least that's what he hinted at earlier, when I found him glued to that window watching you -…" he cut himself short when he realized how it sounded. "Not in a creepy way, of course."

"Of course," Bella parroted, remembering all the times she'd felt like she'd been watched by unfriendly eyes over the last week or so.

"So anyway, Eddie was in his living room by the window and I was in the kitchen looking through his fridge," Emmett continued his recount of the evening from before. "We were having a conversation, shouting back and forth. Then suddenly, I heard him curse very loudly. Before I knew what had happened, he had made a mad dash out of the apartment and was racing down on the street, shouting for me to follow him, which I did. Honestly, I had no Idea what we were running towards, but seeing as Edward had grabbed one of his golf clubs on his way out, I assumed it wasn't going to be pretty."

"But it's dark out here, how much could he possibly have seen? I mean, how did Edward even know it was me out here?"

"You'll have to ask him that. I have no idea." Emmett shrugged. "Like I said before, the attacker heard us coming and took off before we could get close. I would have loved taken up the chase, taken up the fight, but we found you lying unconscious on the ground, so… you know, helping you took priority."

"Then what? How long was I even out for? It can't have been long, right, seeing as Edward was still around when I started regaining my bearings?"

"Long enough to have us worried, that's for sure. Once you started showing signs of coming to, Edward took a step back and let me handle things. He said he didn't want his face to be the first thing you saw. You were in perfectly capable hands though. I can assure you I'm just as up to date on my CPR and First Aid courses as Edward is."

"I don't doubt that. It's just-.."

Bella's sentence cut off when Emmett suddenly nudged her arm. "Ah, there he is now. Don't be too hard on him, don't be too hard on him. He's sensitive." He then stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled shrilly. "Over her. Eddie!

And sure enough, as she looked up, there he was, walking towards her - Edward Cullen in all his dark and brooding glory.

.

….

.

"Hi, Bella," Edward greeted her without actually looking at her.

He'd stopped a good distance short of them, as if he was hesitant about getting up close.

It was so strange to hear his voice after all this time. Sometimes Bella wondered if 'her' Edward ever truly existed, or if that version of him only existed inside her head.

However, unless she was losing her mind —a total possibility— this was real. He was real, she was real…. and they were standing there, in real life, facing one another.

Bella took a deep breath, she knew she had to say something. Too late to run now. Talking to him was something that couldn't be escaped."Uhm, hi… Edward." Her voice came out as a squeak.

Gosh...Gee... Not awkward at all… Just as the silence had stretched one moment too long, Emmett went over and play punched his brother's arm.

"Hey Ed, wasn't there something you wanted to say to Bella? About her dad?"

"Right, yeah… Uhm, I'm sorry about Charlie," he said flatly.

"Thanks," she replied softly.

He wasn't done though…. What he said next surprised her.

"I was in the group of firefighters that were first responders on the scene." His gaze flickering up to meet hers for a charged second before dropping back down to the ground again.

His eyes were still as green as ever; they had not changed.

"You where? I didn't know that. No one told me that."

"We did CPR and used AED on him until the ambulance got there… Or well, I didn't do much. I was there to observe. I am a new volunteer to the Forks Volunteer FD. I have only just started my training to get my hours in."

"Oh."

"So anyway… I'm sorry for what your father is going through and I'm sorry if I have had any part in keeping you from coming back sooner. I never wanted it to come to that. Then again, Forks as a town has never been big on forgetting and moving on, so I get why you've been staying away."

"It's not like I knew you'd be here," Bella tried to shrug it off, but felt uneasy. "Any of you," she added, sweeping her hand to include Emmett. "I mean, I knew your parents had kept the house, but…. " she trailed off, before starting up again, with a question this time. "Why ARE you still here, Edward? I thought you had your eyes set on New York."

"Sometimes plans change," he replied stiffly, looking over at his brother who was busy looking elsewhere.

"Honestly, I really do think that for once in my life I'm right where I should be. I'll tell you one thing, though, I definitely prefer Port A over Forks. Although the daily commute to do this training stuff, is killing me. Did Emmett tell you I live-…"

"Right across the street from here, yes. He did tell me that, among other things…"

"What other things?" He seemed a bit alarmed.

"Well, he told me your living room faces the parking lot. And that you've been watching me coming and leaving for my visits with Charlie… and in town. Actually, I suspect there have been a few narrowly avoided run-ins, that I don't even know about. It would be interesting to know many times over the past week you have seen me without me seeing you, if you don't mind me asking?"

Somewhere in the background Emmett gave a sound between cough and snicker.

Bella and Edward both looked at him, as if they had forgotten he was still around.

"Yeah, please do tell, little brother. I'm curious about this one too."

"Eh, a couple of times," Edward answered vaguely, but then added, "Okay, okay… six times."

"That explains a lot actually. I've had this feeling someone's been watching me for days. I was beginning to think I had acquired a stalker or something. I wrote it off as paranoia, but..."

"Oh. I'm sorry. This is embarrassing. I should have spoken to you sooner. That day outside Newton's…. I just didn't know what to say. And also, Jess was there..." He trailed off with a frown.

"Half the town would have been gossiping about it in a matter of hours." Bella held her hand up, to let him know it was okay. "I get it. I'm a bit embarrassed too… about, you know, this morning. Herencia road… That was you, wasn't it?"

"What are you talking about?" Edward seemed genuinely confused.

"You weren't in Herencia this morning? What about the old lookout point down where County Road 563 meets up with the Coastal beach road? Where you down there earlier in the week?"

"I haven't been to either of those places in quite a while… we're talking weeks here."

"And you don't drive a green sedan?"

"No. What is this about Bella?"

"I'm sorry," she said, color rushing into her face. "I just happened to notice that the same car drove past me twice this morning while I was parked by the side of the Herencia road. I've seen that car around Forks a few other times… but it wasn't until this morning, when I saw it twice in a matter of five minutes that it pinged on my radar."

"Okay. I can assure you, it wasn't me. And for the record I drive a beige Ford F-150 these days."

"Hold up! What's so embarrassing about visiting Herencia?" Emmett asked as if that one detail was what stood out to him. "It's a quiet residential area. I quite like it there."

"What?"

"You said you were embarrassed about what happened this morning in Herencia."

"Oh, I was visiting someone." Bella said, rubbing her own arms as if to try and warm herself up. "It wasn't an altogether pleasant visit. Brought back some memories, you know…. I may have had a little teary moment there in the car afterwards."

"And that's when you saw the same car drove by twice? Maybe you really DO have a stalker," Emmett commented, brows furrowed in concern.

"Or someone's playing some sick joke on me."

Edward was shaking his head. "You were physically attacked, that sounds a bit more serious than a joke or a stalker, in my ears."

"Sometimes one nutcase is all it takes," Bella said, deflecting his comment.

She needed some time to think, before she decided how to feel about the situation. In an effort to downplay it all, she continued, "I remember when we had those super religious, over the top conservatives, showing up at our doorstep with signs and bullhorns. Dad eventually had to scare them off by firing his gun over their heads."

"Fun times," Emmett joked.

"Not really," Bella snorted. Then she turned towards the car. "Can we get going now? It's freezing. I wanna get out of here before the hypothermia set in."

"Of course. Sorry!" Emmett sprung into action, getting the car unlocked. "Eddie, you coming with? I'm gonna drive Bella over to the Lumber Baron where she's staying. "

"Eh… I don't' think that would be such a good-..."

"Stop thinking so much all the damned time!"Emmett threw his hands up the air and sighed. "Bella doesn't mind. Right Bella?"

Edward looked at her. Unblinking, his stare pierced right through to her soul, chilling her to her core.

Bella looked back at Emmett, ready to speak her mind. But before she could say anything, the sound of Emmett's voice drowned everything else out.

"See? She doesn't mind," was what he said and with that it was settled.

.

….

.

"Did you scratch him?" Edward asked, from the backseat.

"Who?" Bella asked, glancing back at him from the corner of her eye. He had pushed his baseball cap back off his forehead, revealing more of his messy bronze colored hair. He looked older, yet in some ways he hadn't changed at all.

"Santa Claus. Gee Bella, who do you think I'm talking about here?"

She knew he meant the attacker, because of course, the subject of the attacker slash potential stalker would not be dropped so easily.

"Right, well… the answer is no. I kicked him in the shin a few times and managed to get an elbow in his ribs. But that was about it."

"Are you sure? If your finger nails made contact with skin, then tissue samples could help us identify this guy."

'I'm sure," she insisted.

They had just pulled out into traffic and the short twelve minutes drive ahead was threatening to turn into a tortuous ordeal, if this line of conversation continued.

"But you ARE reporting this assault to the police, right?" Emmett asked from behind the steering wheel.

She looked out the car window and sighed, "I don't know – I need to think about this."

"What's there to think about?" Edward grunted. "You do know Em's the expert of all things security, right? He's practically a cop himself."

She wanted to roll her eyes, but held back. "I know he's a bounty hunter with a criminal justice degree, who works extra as a security guard at a nursing home catering to elderly with mild dementia and other memory concerns. Everyday hero, yes. Real life cop, not so much."

"I said 'practically' a cop," Edward pointed out. "He actually has a license to carry concealed weapons. You know, in case one of those wild Bingo nights with the old ladies gets out of control."

Bella felt her lips twitch at that. "He did mention those Bingo nights being the highlight of his week. Allegedly, the old ladies, loves him to pieces and get into all sorts of mischief just to get his attention."

"Hey, don't make fun of my career choices! Gotta make ends meet. I've got kids to feed and mortgage to pay," Emmett said, feigning a defensive tone. "But seriously, Swan. I'm on good terms with deputy Williams. I'll gladly help you get in touch with him, if, or when you decide to file an official criminal complaint."

"Deputy Williams….from the Port Angeles police department, right? "

"Well, yeah… You know him?" He turned his head to give her a quick glance.

"No, no… it's just...I hadn't thought about the logistics of things… the fact that we're actually in Post A right now, and not Forks."

"No shit Sherlock," Emmett laughed. "What does that have to do with anything though?"

"Let's put it this way, I've had the pleasure of dealing with FPD and a certain Officer Mike Newton on quite a few occasions since I've been back. Oh, and I've met his boss too, the very charming Chief Jenks too, and-…."

"You're not impressed by either one of them." Emmett guessed.

"Actually, I'm very impressed that Mike's managed to make something out of himself. I'm just not sure a job in law enforcement is a good fit for him. But hey, what do I know..."

"Former pothead turned responsible breadwinner. Who doesn't like a success story like that?" Edward commented with a sarcastic edge in his voice.

"I'm curious, what do you have against Jason Jenks?" Emmett asked with what appeared to be genuine interest.

"Nothing, really. I just don't like the vibe he gives off. You know the typical man-in-power bullshit."

"Yeah? Do you base that on personal experience? Or is it literally just a feeling? I mean, I know female intuition is no joke, but if you got tea to spill, then spill it."

"It's complicated. I really can't get into specifics with you guys, because that would be unethical of me. I suppose, I could give you a hint though, but only if you promise it stays between us," she said, making up her mind on the spot. These guys she could trust and getting a second and third opinion on the situation wouldn't hurt.

"We won't breathe a word," Emmett was quick to assure her.

"Okay… As it so happens, I was roped in to helping Chief Jenks and the Forks police department with a very delicate matter. So when I say I've been 'dealing' with officer Newton and Chief Jenks, I mean 'dealing' in a professional sense of the word. And here's that hint for you…. the reason they asked me for help is because I'm somewhat fluent in sign language and also because I've got some academic credentials and a bit of work experience within a certain field of work."

"What?" Emmett exclaimed, not taking his eyes off the road. "I'm confused. I thought you came here to visit your dad."

"I did, but word got out and-…"

"Sign language?" Edward interrupted her. "Then this must have something to do with Bree Tanner? "

"I can't confirm anything."

"You're like a sign language interpreter, or something?" Emmett asked, finally cluing in… or so he thought.

"I'm not an interpreter, but it is convenient that I know sign language. If it helps, I'm sure my past history also plays a certain role in all this."

"Don't you get it, Em?" Edward said, leaning between the two front seats. "She's been asked to get the girl-who-doesn't-speak to talk."

"Oh. oh …Is that so?"

"I really can't confirm anything." Bella shook her head. "But, Emmett, what was that thing you said you get to do every Thursday evening between six thirty and seven o'clock on the dot."

"Eh?!…What? Oh, you mean Bingo!" he said, grin forming on his face.

"BINGO indeed," she confirmed… without technically confirming anything, of course.

"Okay, let me get this straight," Edward said. "Even though you've only spent limited time in Chief Jenks company, you've already managed to determine –quite correctly- that he is pompous, arrogant, dismissive and generally a bit of an ass."

"That's taking it a bit far," Bella objected. "I'm just questioning if Chief Jenks is giving this case the serious attention it deserves. I mean, he's put Mike f-ing Newton in charge of it, who is friends with the Tanners, from what I've gathered…That's downright questionable, if you ask me. Also, in hindsight, I'm pretty sure Jenks acted a certain way the first time we met, in an attempt to get a psychological advantage over me… and I'm just not sure why he felt the need for something like that."

"Because he's an incompetent ass," Emmett exclaimed, his voice booming in the confined space of the car. "It's okay. You're not alone. We ALL think that, or well, everyone with half a brain thinks that, which actually excludes half the town, but you get the point… There is something not quite right about the ways that man rules our town."

"He rules the town? How? In what ways?"

"Uh… I mean, it was just a figure of speech. I didn't mean it literally," Emmett said, suddenly back-paddling a bit.

"Bella, can I ask you something?" Edward interrupted. "It's for my mom. You know her, she worries about everyone she's ever cared for."

"I-… No." Her breathing stalled for a second —she could guess what his question would be about. The topic was bound to be raised before they parted ways tonight.

"I mean, I just don't think I'm ready to meet them as of now. No offence… It's a self-preservation thing."

"Yeah, no, I get that. Honestly, that wasn't what I was about to ask."

"Oh, now I feel silly," she said, feeling her face heating up. "What was your question then?"

"You don't have to answer. I completely understand if you can't answer this, but can you please confirm that Bree is physically alright? We know something happened to her and that she was taken to hospital with injuries that suggest she's gotten into some sort of fight or violent situation. But not even Dad, with all his connections, can get any straight answers, and every time he gets new information, it's conflicting with what existed before."

"Edward, I know your parents mean well, but if this had been handled correctly from the start, your father shouldn't have been able to get any information about this girl what so ever. She's a minor and should be protected from public scrutiny. Period. End of story. No exceptions." She threw her hands up in exasperation. "Am I the only one getting déjà-vu feelings here?"

"Oh!" Emmett was suddenly snapping his fingers as if a light bulb had just gone off in his head. "What if we have a serial attacker on our hands? What if Bree was attacked by the same guy that grabbed you? You REALLY, really need to go to the police with this, Swan."

"What? No, that wasn't what I-..:" Bella started saying, but then Edward cut in mid sentence."You dimwit, that wasn't where she was going with the déjà vu thing - though, good thinking there, Em. That's actually a pretty good theory."

"For reasons I can't disclose, I'm at least 99 percent certain that isn't the case," Bella said, adjusting her seatbelt.

"Then, what was the déjà-vu thing about?" Emmett asked, still not getting it.

Edward saved her from having to explain. "Later, Em. I'll talk you through it later."

"I'm curious about your parents relationship with Bree," Bella said, in an attempt to keep the conversation from taking any too personal turns. "Have they managed to keep in touch with her throughout the years? I mean, I know their petition to adopt her was… denied." She had to pause there and take a breath, or her voice would've cracked.

So much for keeping it impersonal. She would never not feel guilty about this. There was no denying that her own mistakes from the past had affected the lives of so many people around her.

She forced herself to continue, though her voice wavered slightly. "I know the girl's father came back into town and that he eventually got custody of her. This was after I had already moved away though, so I don't have all the facts…"

"No, " Edward was shaking his head. "I mean, they certainly tried to keep in touch, but Tanner wasn't having it. There was an adjustment period, lasting maybe a year or so, but once he had full custody, he cut all ties, not only with our parents, but also with the Webers."

"I see," Bella mumbled, for lack of anything better to say. It was a common tactic for an abuser to isolate the victim. However, it also made sense that someone in Tanner's position would want to escape from the watching judgmental eyes of others. It didn't have to mean anything really.

"That doesn't mean they stopped caring though," Emmett continued where his brother had left off. "We've all been keeping an ear and an eye out for any news related to Bree. Some more than others, right Eddie?"

Edward let out a cough that sounded suspiciously like a snort. The he grumbled something that sounded like, "Subtle you are not…"

"Excuse me," Bella said. "Am I missing something?"

He wants me to tell you about how we've managed to get social service to make several unannounced visits out to the Tanner Farm. I don't think it's much to brag about though, seeing as it has never actually lead to anything."

"No one is successful all the time with everything they do. The thought and effort still counts. Come on, tell her about Jess," Emmett continued to push. "Tell her about Operation Paying It Forward."

Edward heaved a heavy sigh.

"If you don't, I will."

"I knew you'd say that. You're making a bigger deal out of this then it really is." Edward grabbed the driver's seat belt and gave it a bit of a tug, essentially strangling his brother.

"Hey, I'm driving here!" Emmett cautioned.

"Yeah, exactly. How about you focus on that? Quietly?" Edward shot back, before addressing Bella again. "Swan, I'm sure you've heard by now that the girl works for Jess at Newtons, right?" Edward asked, and then waited for her to nod, before he went on, "Thing is, I might have had something to do with Jessica hiring her. Don't ask me how that all came about, but-… "

"What he's trying to tell you is that Alice isn't the only one in the family that knows how to scheme and manipulate to get what she wants," Emmett interrupted.

"Thanks, but I thought I told you to shut up," Edward snapped. "What I was going to say, before my brother so rudely interrupted me, was that this thing with me persuading Jess to do the right thing for once in her life, involved me reminding her of old unpaid debts that had nothing to do with money and everything to do with sleeping well at night. Anyway, I just figured it was a good idea if Bree had somewhere 'safe' to go after school."

"See, he's so modest that he wouldn't take credit for this if I didn't make him," Emmett commented.

"Yeah, well... much good it did. The girl still got hurt and no one that truly cares about her is sleeping well at night. Mom has been rather torn up about this all, as I'm sure you can imagine."

Before Bella could figure out how to respond to that, Emmett had brought the car to a halt by the all too familiar entrance of Bella's hotel.

"Here we are, home sweet home," he announced. In good style he followed up by cracking a joke. "If you want to show your appreciation, both food and monetary donations are welcome, but food is preferred."

"I was planning on getting you a gift basket, but I'm beginning to think your brother is more deserving of my praise and admiration," Bella shrugged.

"Hey! What am I, chopped liver?"

"Well, I don't want to be rude, but compared to Eddie here - who willingly and selflessly confronted a potentially dangerous lunatic on my behalf and then proceeded to chase him away with a golf club – then, yes, you really are chopped liver," Bella responded, keeping a straight face the entire time.

"Oh, man! Outdone by my own brother…. again," Emmett complained as he unfastened his seatbelt and took they key out of the ignition.

He got his revenge only two seconds later when he played out his trump card. "I guess this means Edward gets the honor of walking you to your room, Bella. Don't forget to have him check for intruders under the bed and in the wardrobe! And there is no rush take ALL the time you need…"

"EMMETT!" they both objected loudly and in unison.

"What? I'm pretty sure you can spend five minutes alone together without killing each other. I mean, you might actually have a thing or two to talk about."

Bella didn't fail to notice the silent battle of wills between the two brothers. One that Edward apparently lost, because he sighed and shook his head in irritation.

"I'm sorry about my obnoxious brother. I can tell he's not going to budge on this one." Edward scooted to the end of his seat and reached for car door. "He's right about one thing though - someone should check your room and make sure it's empty. What do you say? Do you think you can tolerate my company for a little while longer?"

"I think I'm going to have to, aren't I?" Bella said with a sigh.

.

…

.


	72. Chapter 72

-=[Isabelle Higginbotham, the present ]=-

.

*Bella's POV *

.

"No one's hiding in the shower," Edward said, coming back out from the bathroom. "…or under the bed or behind the door. I think it's safe to say you're safe here."

His hair was glowing in the light from the ugly ceiling fixture, all soft and shiny-looking… Pffftt. He may look like an halo'd angel.. but he sure as hell wasn't one, she reminded herself.

"Um. I appreciate you taking a look around, thanks!" Bella tore her eyes away and took a step back to allow him more space. He'd been tall and broad-shouldered even as a teenager, but there were definitely more muscles to his lean frame nowadays. Not that she'd been checking him out or anything, not even the slightest. It was a little hard to miss that he was a full-grown man now though.

Somehow the hotel room felt smaller with him in it, both in terms of physical space but also air circulation. Honestly, it was like his presence sucked the air out of the room.

'That's because you're holding your breath. Gotta breathe, you stupid fool,' she scolded herself.

"So," Edward cleared his throat, glancing at her a little uneasily, almost as if aware of her internal monologue. "…looks like my job here is done." He'd hitched his thumbs into the back pockets of his jeans and was standing hesitantly in the middle of the room. "I guess I should get going. I mean, unless…" he trailed off.

"Unless what?"

He swallowed, and she saw his Adam's apple move up and down. For some reason he seemed a bit fidgety all of a sudden. Was he nervous or uncomfortable ? Or both?

She crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow as if saying 'explain yourself'.

"Unless you want me to-…Wait," he cut himself short. "Sorry, I'm getting my ass buzzed here," he apologized and began fumbling with something in his back pocket - his phone she realized. It was buzzing every other second as it does when you get a notification while it is set on vibration alarm.

"It's probably just Em, texting me to hurry the F up," he said with a shake of his head. "Or not…." He added after having swiped at the screen to read actual message. "My brother just ditched me, it seems."

"Huh? He left without waiting for you?"

Bella saw the briefest of grimace flashed across his face as he scrolled through what looked to be either one really long message or multiple shorter ones.

"Looks that way, yeah," Edward sighed. "I don't think he ever had any intention of waiting for me." He held the phone out for Bella to see for herself what his brother had written him, which spanned over four separate messages, all on the same theme.

 _"Do NOT waste this opportunity I've so masterfully created 4 u."_

 _"If u clam up now I'll disown u. You'll end up a bitter, lonely crank."_

 _"Just talk to her. Trust me. U don't want her hearing every embarrassing little detail about your life from someone else."_

 _"Grovel if you have to! Girls love that. You can thank me later."_

Just as she had finished with those first four ones, the phone vibrated again, indicating yet another incoming message – one that Bella got the honor of reading first.

 _"And if u get laid in the process, you'll owe me a lot of beer."_

"Please tell me he's joking," Bella huffed, shoving the phone back at Edward.

His eyes widened almost comically, as he took a look and got to see for himself what she was talking about.

"I'm sorry you had to read that rubbish," he muttered and then hurriedly pocketed the phone again, as if 'out of sight' meant 'out of existence.'

"Clearly my brother's grasp on reality is loose at best." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I don't know about that," Bella quipped, deciding to make light of it. "I mean, I'm pretty sure I did catch you checking out my ass before."

"Hey! Did NOT," he immediately objected, not willing to admit to any such thing.

"Did too," she insisted. It was surprisingly easy, falling back into the typical pointed banter she used to have with him.

"Di-.. Oh, I see what you're doing," he said, shaking his head. "Again, sorry. I can't pretend this whole situation is awkward as hell."

"You don't say," she replied with a dry laugh.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed. "This is not going how I planned…. Not, that had it all planned out or anything, but you know… I have so much I want to – no, NEED to say to you. I owe you a ton of apologies." He paused and looked at her as if trying to gauge her reaction. "It's just hard. I have no clue how or where to begin."

So this was what he was so nervous about? He wanted to apologize, but didn't know where to start…

"Not sure what you hope to achieve here, but I suppose we are long overdue for a talk," Bella agreed, trying to act braver then she felt at the moment. This whole conversation had bad idea written all over it.

Edward narrowed his eyes, studying her face carefully. "Problem is… no matter how I do this, I'm going to end up saying something that will upset and quite possibly even hurt you."

"Yeah, I don't think that can be avoided," she responded bitterly. "The way I see it, we've got two options," she continued, even though every fiber in her being protested against it. "We either plunge right in, or we test the waters with something small and simple."

"There is nothing small and simple about this, Swan. Actually, forget I said anything. Maybe this wasn't a good idea."

His mouth was in a thin line and his eyes were…worried? Did he really think she was that fragile? That one wrong word would push her over that edge of mental stability again?

"Yeah, go take the cruel, coward's way out, Edward. I wouldn't think less of you," she said, the words pouring out of her, shaky at first, then gaining strength, gaining temper.

She was purposefully goading him now, challenging him. She was not sure why though. She just had this strange desire to show him she was stronger than he thought.

"Yeah. No. We're definitely gonna have this talk. We don't have to do this tonight though. I can come back tomorrow, or you could come find me whenever you're ready for it. That's also an option," he said, giving her an easy way out.

"Sure, we'll do this whatever way you think is best," she shrugged, looking away.

To be honest, she was both intrigued and a little put off at the same time. What was his motive here? She had a sinking suspicion he was only doing this for the sake of getting rid of guilt.

"Your brother will be disappointed when he realizes you squashed his best laid plans for you," she reminded him after a moment of silence. "What was it he wrote again - Clam up now and I'll disown you?"

"Forget Emmett! He knows I don't like confrontational stuff, but that doesn't give him the right to try and interfere the way he just did."

"I agree. That was unnecessary, we're not kids anymore. We don't need meddling for the sake of meddling."

"I know." He let out a frustrated gust of breath. "This is the very reason I have given my family strict instructions not to approach you under any circumstances. I don't want them meddling in stuff they know nothing about. I mean, if I have left things up to my parents to decide, they would have invited you over for Sunday dinner the minute you arrived here."

"Sunday dinner with your parents? You're joking right?" She frowned at him.

"I kid you not. They would absolutely LOVE to get a chance to sit down with you and just...talk. But relax, I totally understand why it's not something you'd feel comfortable doing. So don't worry-…"

"But why? I'm the girl that turned their garden into a crime scene and nearly ruined their son's life by getting him arrested. Why would they want to invite me over for dinner, or even consider allowing me into their house again?"

"Because they like to think of themselves as open-minded, intelligent and generally reasonable people. Because, they want to make sure you know they don't blame you for anything."

"That sounds like them, I suppose. Forgive and forget - the only true way to find lasting inner peace," she nodded. "Actually, it sounds like the title of a self help book…. But alright. I get it. Your parents are compassionate people, in some aspects, saints even-…"

"Saints?!" Edward interrupted her. "Not by a long shot. I really don't think you get it at all." He closed his eyes and sighed with frustration, rubbing his forehead. "You know what, let me start over. I think I know what I need to do here. I have to take that plunge. From your comments alone, it has become quite clear where I need to start and what needs to be said."

Oh boy… here goes. "I'm going to regret not kicking you out when I had the chance to, aren't I?" she asked, bracing herself for what she feared would turn into a rather awkward, not to mention intense conversation…

"Sit!" He pointed towards the bed.

"I'm fine standing, thank you." She narrowed her eyes at him. "If you want to talk, then talk – I'll listen to you for three minutes without interrupting, Then swap, and you'll let me have a go at it. Do we have a deal?" she asked him calmly. However, she didn't feel all that calm, as evidenced by a clenched jaw.

"Sounds like a plan." He took a dramatic intake of breath, before he began, "Just so we're clear here, you didn't get me arrested and you certainly didn't ruin my life. Alright. I want you to know that I don't blame you one single bit for any of the bad stuff that happened. None if it was your fault and you didn't deserve the repercussions that came from it."

"Oh…Okay..." she said hesitantly. "That's very grand of you."

"There's nothing grand about me or my life, but I'm sure we'll get to that later. I'm the one talking here and I have only just begun," he told her and placed an index finger to his lips to mimic a shush. "Three minutes remember?"

"Sorry," she muttered.

"For starters, you obviously didn't get pregnant on your own. I was just as responsible for the lives we created as you were. It shouldn't have happened, in fact it was my job to make sure nothing like that happened, but obviously I messed somewhere, somehow…. "

"Why-…" she started before she caught herself.

Edward's eyes narrowed. "Why was it my job? And how did I mess up?" he finished for her. "I'll tell you why. Because I knew you were fresh out of a traumatic, life-changing event when you came to Forks… I knew you were dealing with something beyond the normal grief process of losing a parent… I knew you had a lot of baggage and I knew you were pretty messed up. I knew all of this, because you let me see a side of you that not everyone knew. You trusted me, and I let you down. I should have realized sooner that something wasn't right. Or at the very least, I should have dealt with it differently. Instead, I acted and reacted like a jerk, a spoiled, selfish brat that refused to grow up. I really, truly am sorry for fitting that age-old cliché of the immature, insensitive and sex-obsessed teenage boy a little too perfectly."

He wasn't entirely wrong, he wasn't entirely right either. "None of us were particularly mature or responsible back then. I hear what you're saying, I just don't think-…"

"DON'T," he shushed her again. "Don't think. Don't argue, or take offence... You'll get your turn. We have an agreement."

She heaved a deep sigh, but motioned for him to go on.

"Moving on to the events that led to my arrest… again, not your fault. The police had some pretty good reasons for making that arrest. Of course it would have helped if you could have snapped out of it sooner and been more vocal about the whole 'who-did-what' from the start. Honestly though, Bella, I don't blame you for going into denial mood about the whole thing. I mean, at the time I couldn't quite fathom how someone could be in denial about something so… monumental. I know I accused you of lying a few times. And I'll be honest with you, I was quite a bit upset there for a while, but…"

Upset? Well, that was an understatement of epic proportions. Also, snap out of it sooner? That's not how the intricate and complicated wonder that is the human brain works. She had to bite her tongue - actually she was biting her own hand - to make the pain override the urge to say something she'd regret later.

"…but I did not fully understand the psychological aspect of it. " Edward continued. "I do now though. I'm older and wiser and I've even done some reading up on the subject. I get that it was a defense mechanism and that you were subconsciously defending yourself."

Bella made an unhappy noise, indicating she wanted her turn to speak, but of course Edward took little notice. Or rather, he noticed, but ignored it.

Instead, he took a step closer so that he stood right in front of her. Bella could see his hand twitch, slightly, as if he wanted to reach out and touch her, but she was already shaking her head, telling him not to.

"And now to the hardest, but most important part, if you ask me…" he said, raking a hand through his hair, tugging at it as a dark furrow formed between his eyes.

She could already sense what was coming next. She squeezed her eyes shut, preparing herself for the blow.

"Bella, I don't blame you for what happened with… with the baby that died." He paused to draw a deep breath before continuing. "If anything I blame myself… even though I've been told there was nothing neither one of us could have done that would have changed the outcome. "

She wanted to tell him to stop, to shut up, but knew she couldn't trust her voice. The last thing she needed was to burst into full blown ugly cry, complete with snot and hyperventilating and unintelligible gasps.

Instead, she hid her face behind her hands and clenched her eyes shut without making a sound.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked, his voice had this cautious tone. "This is tough to talk about and I suppose ever tougher to listen to. I'm not going to push the subject. Okay. Are you still listening? Or did I lose you?"

She gave a little movement of her head, to show that she heard and understood what he'd just said. Then, as if to ward off more concern, she moved a hand, palm out, through the air in front of her.

"There is no rush here," he said. This time he didn't hesitate to reach out and touch her shoulder gently. She jumped a bit but allowed the touch for a moment, before shrugging it off and backed away a step.

"Sorry," he apologized, bowing his head low.

"I'm not sure I want to continue this," Bella finally said once she trusted her voice not to crack. "I'm sure this is therapeutic for you, but there is a limit for how much I can handle, you know…" She wrapped her arms around her body, hugging herself as if protecting herself from him.

"Yeah, alright… I'll skip the groveling part. Okay?!" He checked before continuing. "What this all boils down to is that I don't harbor any hard feelings towards you. There is no hatred or anger… I was young and stupid and I treated you badly. For that I'm more sorry than I will ever be able to express. I don't expect forgiveness. Just know that if I could turn back time, I would have by now. I would have fixed this, stopped it before it happened. As it is, all I can do is apologize sincerely, from the bottom of my heart." He patted his own chest, as if to emphasize his words.

"I know it's no excuse, but much like you, I was not in a particularly great place in my life when this thing blew up in our faces. I've gotten to the point where I can acknowledge that I did a lot of bad things as a teenager, took a quite few wrong turns. I thought I knew what I was doing, but in reality I was clueless." He paused again, this time to let out a dry laugh. "I can tell you've already figured this one out, so I might as well come right out and say it - yes, I eventually had to give up my whole 'I-don't-need-therapy' stand. It's still a work in progress, but I'm sure you're familiar with how that works … Anyway, that's about it. Well, for now at least… I mean, obviously there is more - a lot more - but I'll shut up and let you have your turn. How does that sound? "

She blinked, decidedly undecided what the hell to say to all that. She settled on, "I don't think I've ever heard you talk this much about anything remotely personal before."

"I'm sorry? Is that a bad thing?"

"Oh, no… It' just… I feel like I've been hit by a garbage truck followed by a taxi followed by a Chinese-food delivery guy on a bicycle…."

He looked taken aback by her response, so she added a small smile to make sure he knew it was a deliberate attempt to lighten the atmosphere a bit. "My mind feels kind of overloaded here. I think I'm gonna need some time to process all of this. But good for you on the therapy thing. It appears to have done wonders."

She saw his lips twitch. "Yeah, my parents were pleased, as I'm sure you can imagine. And, take all the time you need. I can wait. Actually I'm terrible at waiting. I worry and stress over every single thing. I am the undisputed champion of overthinking-..."

"Edward!" she cut him off.

"I'm rambling, aren't I?" he said with a groan. "I just can't believe we're standing here, talking face to face, after over five years of silence between us."

"I know….Don't take this the wrong way, but I came back here with no intention of seeking you out. I really, honestly, didn't know for sure if you were still around or not. Either way I wasn't planning on having this conversation, or any conversation, with you anytime soon...if at all. I'm glad we did this though. It hasn't been nearly as bad as I feared it would be. As far as closure goes, I can't tell you everything is fine or forgotten. I—uh—guess I should be apologizing too. I said and did some rather messed up things. However, if I did apologize right now, it would be heavily influenced by the stuff you've just told me …And I feel you deserve a sincere and thought through apology. So for now, just know that I don't hate you. I don't think I ever really did. I hope it's okay, if we leave it at that?"

"Yeah, sure. Like I said, there is no rush," he agreed but didn't look entirely like he meant it.

A few moments of silence passed while they stood there staring at one another.

Suddenly, he was talking again. "I don't think of it as all bad, do you? The past, I mean….for me it wasn't all bad. I liked how we used to talk about anything and everything, and sometimes I still catch myself longing for those conversations.I don't think I ever told you how much I appreciate your intelligence and wit," he said, his voice so deep it gave her goosebumps, gave her chills… "And beauty, of course... but pretty girls are a dime a dozen. Smart people are rare. It seems like I'm talking in circles here…" He shook his head. "Do you ever get nostalgic? Do you ever miss 'us', and the easy going vibe we used to have, Bella?…before things got complicated.."

WTF did that come from?! What part of 'let's leave it at that' did he not understand? Talk about poking at a beehive with a stick. Because she got the distinct feeling that what he was really asking was if she missed banter-bicker-sparring-foreplay and all the hot, sweaty monkey sex they used to have as teenagers. Or, perhaps she needed her head checked for instantly going there.

She glanced over at him again and… No. She was pretty sure she was reading him right. He was still looking at her, expecting an answer from her. His eyes were so intense and fuck… she felt another shiver run down her spine. After all this time, after so much that had passed between them, how could he still affect her so?

"Ah, simpler times," she said, sighing with exaggerated wistfulness. while avoiding his stare. "…when we were strung out high with not a care in the world. " Then, while still attempting to maintain a nonchalant tone, she added, "We're not who we used to be and I, for one, am grateful for that. Dwelling on the past is never productive when you're trying to move forward with your life."

"I guess that answers my question," he said and… wait, was that disappointment she heard in his voice? And if so, why did that make her happy?

"What brought this on, Edward?" she flipped the question back at him."You're not the nostalgic type, are you?"

"No, but I am the lonely type. And sometimes when I've had too much time alone, my brain starts to turn on me, resulting in reminiscence of those simpler times. But you're right - it's not very productive. So I try not to let my thought go there too often."

"I see…Well, dwelling is bad, I think we can agree on that one."

The pair stood in silence for a few moments, until Edward figured she wasn't going to say anything else, so he pushed himself off the wall and edged towards the door.

"If you don't have anything else to add, I think I'm gonna go home now. I hope you'll find it in your heart to accept my apologies and… well, you know where I live, so come find me when you're ready to talk, or just-..."

''Don't leave just yet," she interrupted him, surprising herself with the words that were coming out of her month

"Excuse me." He looked at her, startled.

'Oh screw this!' she thought and in instant she'd moved to stand between him and the door.

"You heard me. You're not the only one with a traitorous mind. Being alone with my thoughts right now isn't exactly an appealing option."

There was silence for a long moment. "Okay. Now I feel bad! I can't believe I'd almost forgotten about the parking lot attack and why I followed you here in the first place. I promise, I won't leave until you feel safe, ok? It's no problem I've got nowhere I need to be tonight."

"Thanks! I appreciate it," Bella said, nodding slowly She ran a shaky hand through her hair in an attempt to compose herself. The effort was not very successful and probably left her hair wildly skewed. "That's not the reason why I want you to stay though."

There… she'd said it.

"It's not?" His big, green eyes betraying the confusion he felt at the turn the conversation had taken.

"No." She realized at that moment that she had been staring at his eyes while he was staring at her lips. "I think you know why."

Suddenly there was electricity in the air. "I do…?" he said, no asked. Because, of course, he was going to make her spell it out for him.

"Like I said, you're not the only one with a traitorous mind." She licked her lips and eyed him nervously. "Listen, I know this is gonna sound bonkers… That highly encouraging, but slightly inappropriate text from your brother – you know which one I'm talking about – it got me thinking…. about all the banter-bicker-sparring-foreplay we used to have. And you know how it is, once that seed of thought is planted it is hard to stop thinking about it. Is the spark still there? Could it still still ignite the fire?"

"I-… This can't happen," he shook his head, his voice going down into that octave again that made her heart start thumping even faster.

"I know."

They were like magnets though, once they got close enough nothing could stop them from crashing together.

Bella wasn't sure who'd moved first, but next thing she knew she stood on her toes, tilting her head upwards. His face came inches from hers, and she breathed in his scent. His aftershave was earthy and manly… and exactly like she remembered it.

His eyes clouded over and then his lips crashed down on hers in a kiss so forceful it stole her breath and turned her brain to mush.

 _Sparks, check. Toes curling, check. Body on fire, not quite, but pretty damn close. They could work on that…_

Unfortunately, the feverish lip-lock only lasted a brief, precious moment. Because just as quickly as he had claimed her lips, Edward pushed her away again, abruptly breaking the contact.

She saw him swallow hard. His breathing was as labored as hers and his face was a mix of confusion and horror.

Okay, this was…. embarrassing. Had she read him wrong? Doubt curled her belly as she glanced down quickly, wanting to look anywhere but on him. And then it hit her, maybe he wasn't single! She'd just assumed he was, going by the content of those texts and his react-..

Her train of thoughts was interrupted as he cleared his throat. "Bella," his voice was unnaturally quiet. "I'm not saying that I don't want this, or we shouldn't do this, but-…"

"I'm sorry, I misinterpreted—"

"You didn't, Bella. I lost my head there for a hot second, before reality caught up… What I am saying is this is not something we should do on a whim. Because, if we do this it will be equivalent to opening up a whole can of problematic and ugly worms that will be most difficult to handle. It would mean complications and I kind of prefer to keep things simple and uncomplicated."

"Who doesn't?" she scoffed darkly, "Don't worry, this ugly, problematic complication…" she paused to point to herself. "…is not planning on sticking around. I'll leave town again soon-ish and it will be like I never was here. I promise."

"Errrr, hang on. I didn't mean it like that, honestly… It's just…I'm getting crazy deja vu vibes here and not the good kind. I don't want it to be the same crap all over again."

"First I'm a complication and now... You know what? Spare me, okay? Just fucking go home and spare me the headache of trying to make sense of what you're saying." She tried to reach her jacket and her phone, in case she would need reinforcement to get him to leave. It was hanging on the coat rack beside the door, but he easily pinned her back against the wall and rested and rested a hand on each side of her head.

"That's not what I said. Just hear me out,okay?" he said, his breath hot against her earlobe. "Thing is, in the past, we used sex to avoid talking about the important stuff… a lot. Sometimes it felt like you used me to escape reality all together. It wasn't one sided though. I was just as bad. I didn't deal well with real intimacy and there were definitely some communication challenges. And honestly, I can't say I've changed all that much in that aspect….So with that being said, I can't let this go any further unless I'm certain you know what you're getting yourself into. I need you to look me in the eyes and tell me this is what you really want. Alright?"

"Fair enough." She relaxed a bit, touching her forehead against his shoulder, before turning her face up to meet his questioning gaze. "Cullen, we're both older now and wiser… more aware of the risks. I can only speak for myself, of course, but I know I'm more equipped to handle whatever emotions, disappointments, and curveballs life throws at me. So, yes, I do believe I know what I'm getting myself into. "

"You sure?" he coaxed her. "I saw you near tears a minute ago, and now you're standing in front of me giving me those 'do me' eyes."

"You asked if I missed us…. but I think what you were truly asking was whether or not I missed that physical connection we used to have. And by connection I mean sex. I'm fully aware that there is a difference between physical connection and emotional intimacy. The former we had plenty of and the later…. not so much. So...to answer the burning question here; I can honstly say, nothing I've experienced since the end of us, has come even remotely close to matching - or surpassing – what we once had, "she admitted and hid her face in his chest for a moment, feeling the burning warmth of her cheeks against her palms. "That's what you wanted to hear, wasn't it? There I've said it..." she added, as she finally peered up at him again. "Yes, this is something I really, REALLY want. Never been more sure. I want to know if the spark is still there. I know it's irrational, but-…"

She was interrupted by lips pressing against her own.

This kiss was much gentler, slower, but just as passionate as the first one. And this time it was no question who'd initiated it.

Bella's eyebrows were raised and all she could say as they parted was, "Please, don't do that, if you don't intend to follow through!"

"Bella, who are we kidding. That spark never went anywhere. It's still very much there and if you're sure, I'm sure. That's all I needed to hear."

She sucked in a sharp breath as his hands went to her hips, closing the distance, pulling her flush against him.

"Bed?" he asked.

"Please." She nodded.

.

…

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	73. Chapter 73

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-=[ Isabella Swan, the past]=-

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 _ **AN: Edwards POV following his arrest**_

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The events immediately after his arrest were a blur to Edward. His heart was pounding so hard and fast that he'd felt almost dizzy. Nothing could describe the feeling of dread that came over him as the handcuffs were locked in place.

It wasn't that he'd never been in the backseat of a police car before. He'd been stopped for traffic violations and asked to sit in patrol car while his license was checked quite a few times. Most recently, was that one time, roughly two years ago, when he'd been detained after a fight at a party and had to spend a few hours in a holding cell, before he was released with a warning.

However, this was most definitely the first time he'd ever been arrested and put in handcuffs. And it wasn't because of that reckless driving charge Chief Swan always threatened to stick on him, or anything as "simple" or clear cut as that. No, this whole thing was the opposite of simple. This wasn't something that could be fixed with a wad of cash from your daddy, or made disappear with a doctor's note.

He heard his rights being read to him and then had his body patted down and searched for weapons, before he was loaded into the backseat of the police cruiser.

Edward was preoccupied with the thoughts swirling around in his head and was having trouble focusing on what was being said. Apparently, he was being taken into custody on suspicion of attempted murder. They also mentioned something about giving false reports to law enforcement and undignified handling of the remains, but Edward stopped listening at the mention of 'attempted murder'… because WTF! He'd had kind of thought the worst they could accuse him of at this point was obstruction of justice, or aiding and abetting... or something wishy washy like that… But nope, they went all in, it seemed.

The way this was going it certainly seemed as though the police had reason to believe Edward had not only been in-the-know about the pregnancy, but that he'd been present for the birth, or at the very least handled the 'cleanup' afterwards… like what the actual f*ck! He'd had zero involvement in this whole mess. Okay, he'd been a willing participant in the sex act, that, unbeknownst to him, had resulted in a pregnancy. But he hadn't known squat about Swan's predicament, or how she'd decided to deal with it! How many times did he have to repeat it before everyone understood?

His anxiety started to build again. He bounced his leg up and down, up and down, up and down…

'Cullen, you can't lose it now!' He gnawed on the inside of his cheek to keep himself focused. 'Conscious, rational thoughts. That's how you keep it together!'

This whole thing was such a mess though…. He was being wrongfully accused of something he knew he hadn't done. What probable cause could the police possibly have to justify this arrest? He didn't get it.

It was entirely possible that some jealous fucker was trying to sabotage his life just for the heck of it. He had this nagging suspicion that there could be an entire smear campaign going on behind his back, orchestrated by one of the 'big five' – Sam Ulay, most likely. Bur surely the police was not stupid enough to make this arrest on loose grounds and hearsay alone. Right?

He wasn't particularly worried about the downright lies… like the one about his car being spotted on the night in question. Or the exaggerated stories about him being up to his neck in filthy drug money that seemed to be going around. Like, please, whoever planted that idea, clearly hadn't thought it all the way through. Never a good idea to throw stones in a glass house…

No, the lies couldn't hurt him, most of them were far too farfetched to be believable anyway. However, he was a bit more concerned about the many half-truths about him circulating around town… He knew people called him weird, antisocial and moody behind his back and they weren't entirely wrong. He had a long and well documented history of behavioral issues at school, including mouthing off to teachers and getting into fights with other students. As well as, a few warnings for coming into school reeking of marijuana (never been caught red handed smoking though). This had, of course, earned him some respect from his peers, but it had also led to that he'd received many disciplinary notes to his permanent records throughout the years.

Both his parents had been on him, time and time again, about how this kind of behavior could affect his chances of getting into college and limit his future job prospects and getting him in trouble with the law… and blah blah blah...

He could practically hear his father scolding him; "Son, I always warned you this could happen". Unlikely as it may sound, Edward had to give his parent right on this one. He could see what they meant now. In the odd chance you find yourself arrested one day, you don't want there to be anything in your records that could be twisted into 'evidence' that you are a stoner, or that you have aggressive or violent tendencies. It was much too late to do anything about that now though...

But hey, it could be worse. It's not like he had a criminal record or anything. Also, chances were, the police had nothing beyond hearsay and circumstantial evidence to go on anyway…. Unless, of course, they had made some new findings, something that he didn't know about.

That was it, wasn't it? The answer hit him like a cold slap across the face – that thing about the drawstring! They'd been yapping about it on the radio. How the police had found a piece of drawstring that they knew it had been used to tie off the umbilical cord and how they had sent it off to a lab for analysis in hope of a DNA retrieval...

It was a real possibility that the drawstring came from the sweatpants Edward had seen Bella wear the morning after the party over at their house… HIS sweatpants… Now, if that was the case, then that meant the police could possibly have something that linked him to both Bella and the crime scene.

Then there was also the knife – the one the police claimed they had found in the woods. Emmett had called it the smoking gun, what if he was right? What if it was, in fact, Edward's knife they'd found? What if it had been covered in residue of human blood and other bodily fluids? He couldn't explain the how or the why of it… but if someone was trying to frame him for this, then planting evidence in the close vicinity of his home and the crime scene, was certainly one way to go about it…

Though, if he was being honest with himself, this arrest could be entirely his own doing…Because __if someone wanted to make Edward look like bad guy in all this, he'd certainly given them plenty of ammunition to do so. There was this one other thing in particular that might have contributed to his arrest BIG time... and that was Bella's phone.

There were certain messages Edward had left on Swan's voicemail, that taken out of context, could perhaps be interpreted as though he had been threatening to ruin her life, if she didn't smarten up…

Getting drunk on the night of Jasper's birthday outing at the end of the summer had definitely not done him any favors. Incidentally, or perhaps not so incidentally, it was the night Bella had showed up with Jacob Black on her arm… to add more insult to the injury, Bella had ignored the hell out of Edward all evening...

Well, duh, that's what happens when you break things off with someone… Girls usually don't want anything to do with you after you dump them…

In fact, he hadn't seen her much at all over the summer and for the first time ever Edward found he was almost looking forward to school starting up again. He remembered wanting things to go back to some sort of routine and normality, so that he could feel good about himself again. It didn't even matter whether she ever spoke to him again or not. He knew they'd never be friends again and he was okay with that, as long as he got to see her again on some sort of regular basis, even if it was just in passing in the hallways at school…

It was just that now, somehow, that plan didn't seem to cut it anymore…he wanted to talk to her, he wanted her to want to talk to him… Seeing Bella being all chummy-chummy with that asshole had felt like a sucker-punch to the gut. Edward wanted to be the guy she sat with, smiled at, talked to… it wasn't even a sex thing. He just missed her, missed their conversations and banter, missed the feeling of victory when he learned something new about her, or the way her eyes twinkled whenever she'd tricked him into revealing stuff about himself.

Instead of acknowledging the sudden void in his chest - that had him feeling like someone had scraped out his insides and left him hollow, hollow and empty, without purpose - he'd gotten shitfaced real fast and done a whole bunch of stupid, drunken mistakes…

He'd hit on three different girls who obviously didn't care to be hit on – one of them had even been on a date with her boyfriend when he'd approached her (ouch!). No amount of alcohol, or reckless behavior would make him feel even remotely okay though, but it wasn't for lack of trying. At some point he'd picked up his cigarette lighter, playing with its flame (by the way, melted plastic smells really, really yucky).

So… yeah, he'd done plenty of things that night that he wasn't proud of. The vile voicemails he'd left on Bella's phone didn't even top the list. There was also a cringe worthy, face to face confrontation with Swan in the restroom, during which he'd made a total fool out of himself, trying to dictate what she should feel and not feel.

Of course, it didn't end there though…

He'd stalked her for the rest of the night, followed her around like a creep. He'd lurked in the shadows of Charlie Swan's overgrown garden to make sure the Black delivered her home safely and in time to make her midnight curfew. Okay, he'd wanted to know if she would let the asshole spend the night or not… which, of course, she hadn't… because duh, no sleepovers in Chief Swan's house. Edward's drunken self had taken this to mean he should try and reason with her one last time… He had some vague memories of trying to climb a tree and nearly breaking his neck… and Bella yelling at him for invading her privacy. There was some other 'stuff' that had happened after that point…stuff he preferred not to think about… Edward had shown his true colors and Bella had made it clear that he was not, under any circumstances, allowed to touch her ever again. More yelling had ensued, before she'd told him to get the hell out of there before she called her dad on him.

He shook his head as if to rid himself of the conflicting thoughts. This wasn't the first time Edward had replayed this particular argument in his mind. He'd gone over it over and over again… this along with the brief conversation they'd had at the night of the party was the last two times he'd spoken to her.

The thing was, Bella must have been really f*cking pregnant by the end of the summer… It should have been quite noticeable. He'd even googled "20 weeks" "baby bump" and "twins", just to get some sort of size reference.

If there was one time he should have noticed there was something 'wrong' with her, that the changes to her physical appearance went beyond her simply putting on a little weight over the summer, it was the night of Jaspers birthday. Because, Edward hadn't settled with just talking to her, or shouting at her… No. He'd touched her that night. He'd groped her, pressed himself against her, just to prove he could still get her hot and bothered like no one e-...

Just then the police car jostled to a stop and flung Edward back into the present. The door beside him was opened and someone told him to watch his head. Once out of the car, he was escorted into the police station and taken to a holding area while the officers completed the paperwork.

It was around that moment that he started freaking out for real. Because, he could guess what came next and he already knew he wasn't going to like the whole being placed in a cell part. They were going to lock him up inside a dumpy little room with questionable cleanliness… Even if disinfected occasionally, it was still a confined space where large quantities of bacteria from blood, feces, urine, vomit, and other body fluids had built up over many years….

This time he couldn't stop the anxiety from kicking in full force. When father and his lawyer arrived, twenty something minutes later, Edward spiraled into what could only be describe as crippling panic attack that lasted for hours. 


	74. Chapter 74

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 **-=[ Bella Higginbotham, the present]=-**

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 _ **AN: Edwards POV**_

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…

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Edward woke with a gasp. His eyes started darting from one spot in the dark room to another, searching for something, anything, he recognized.

The room was unfamiliar, but he was ever so thankful to find himself in what looked like a 'normal' bedroom and not a holding cell like the one featured in the nightmare that had just awoken him.

Hearing a noise coming from beside him, he turned his head a little.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Bella asked from where she sat with her back propped up by pillows against the headboard. "I was looking something up," she said, motioning to the cell phone in her hand. "I-… uhm… I couldn't sleep."

Her face glowed in the faint light from display. He marveled at the sight. Even with her hair tousled and a bit of smudged mascara on her checks, she was as beautiful as ever. He was pretty sure she was still naked underneath the sheet that just barely covered her. This, of course, had images from what they'd done earlier flashing through his mind, images of their intertwined bodies, writhing, rubbing and moving together in a frantic rhythm.

Because yes, of course, they'd ended up having sex….and not just casual, for old times' sake sex… No, it had been off-the-chart- great sex, which Edward found a bit concerning to be honest. He hadn't seen her in so long. If anything they should be strangers to one another, but somehow weren't.

 _Why was that?  
_

He wasn't sure he wanted to figure that one out. He wasn't even sure she'd be around long enough for them to figure anything out. In fact, he had no idea what her plans looked like. She could be gone again a week from now, or even tomorrow. This was merely an intermission in her life… Bella had started a new life someplace else, a life she was probably eager to get back to….

For a second, he felt a twinge of … something he couldn't readily identify. In that instance, he had this insatiable urge to touch her. Her red lips were calling for him to kiss them again and he just wanted to close the distance between them, to pull her close and never let go.

He didn't, of course.

Instead, he rubbed his face to keep his hands occupied with something that wasn't her. It was right about then that he felt eyes burning into him. He realized she was staring at him as if she was expecting something from him. It took him a few moments to remember she had asked him a question.

"I-…uhm… No, you didn't wake me," he said, trying to smooth over the awkward moment with a small smile. "Or, at least I don't' think it was you…. Either way, I'm glad I'm awake now. I mean, that was not very classy of me to fall asleep like that. Did I drool on you?"

Apparently that was the right thing to say, because her lips twitched up ever so slightly. "No, thankfully no drooling. You've been asleep for ages though. You're such a bore Edward! I was in the bathroom for like four seconds and when I came back you were already snoring like a bear in hibernation."

"Sorry— guess I needed a nap. I'm not as young as I used to be." he sighed, pushing himself up to a sitting position. "What time is it anyway?" he went on asking, as he bent over and snatched up his jeans off the floor. "Is it late late?"

"It's… 'after midnight, before dawn' late." Her eyes narrowed. "Why? Are you leaving? I thought you said you weren't in a hurry?" she countered, her voice unreadable. "No, don't answer that. You're scrambling to get dressed, so that pretty much says it all…"

"I-… No, I was just checking where my phone went. Don't want it on the floor, where someone might step on it," he explained as he stopped mid-movement to look at her. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked in return.

She didn't answer him at first. He held his breath, not daring to make sound that could distract her.

"No," she finally said. "The way I see it, we're already damned. It's not going to get any more, or any less complicated, if you stay the night. Fair warning though, I hate awkward morning-after chatter, so you know… don't take it personally if I kick you our first thing in the morning."

"Duly noted."Finding and retrieving his phone out of the depths of his back pocket, he checked the time on the display - 01:58 AM.

"You lied, Swan," he tsked and tossed his jeans over the edge of the bed again. "The night's still young. I can't have been asleep for more than 20 minutes - if even that…."

Her eyes shone bright in the pale light. "Ah, twenty minutes, two hours. What's the difference? You fell asleep on me… which make you lousy company with somewhat questionable stamina." Her tone was teasing, but he could sense…something else… something with more purpose, under the lightness as he watched her, watching him.

"We should talk", he wanted to say, but just then Bella's lips parted just a little and her tongue ran over them he couldn't seem to focus on anything else.

"Now that you're awake though, I'm not sure what to do with you," she said pretending to be considering her options. "I mean, I suppose we could raid the vending machine and binge watch Netflix... Or we could prank call your brother and tell him he has to come bail us out of jail… What do you say?"

 _Or we could talk?_ Once again, the words hung unsaid between them. _  
_

"Eh, sure… Whatever you want-…."He was cut off midsentence by lips crashing fiercely into his.

"Stop pretending you're oblivious," she panted out in harsh gasps as they eventually separated to breathe. "Can we just admit that this is what we both want? And this time, no holding back. We give it everything we've got… and then some…"

She probably didn't mean it the way it sounded, but her words did funny things to his insides. However, before he could analyze it in depth, Bella had thrown a leg over his and moved to straddle him.

He reached for her blindly and drew her down onto his lap. His arms snaking around her, as he was finally allowing himself to touch her again.

He wanted to pull her closer. He wanted her under his skin and all around him. And yet even when he pulled her so close that her breasts were pressed flush to his torso, it wasn't enough.

Bella, too, was aching for more contact it seemed. She had started wriggling in his lap, moving her hips just enough to brush against him every once in a while, driving him insanely crazy with need… Need to feel her, need to be close to her, need to love her… er, make love to her… This was sex, damn it! Just sex.

"Stop THAT!" Bella's voice suddenly broke through his irate thoughts.

"Stop what?"

She cupped his face to force him to look into her beautiful, heavy lidded brown eyes.

"Stop thinking!"

This time as she moved against him the contact was deliberate and full on. They both gasped with pleasure and after that all pretense of talking or even thinking was all gone.

.

….

.

Edward's pulse was in no hurry to return to a saner level, it seemed.

His eyelids felt increasingly heavy, but somewhere deep within a little voice kept nagging at him to stay awake this time. He couldn't remember why though, not until Bella's voice broke through his hazy mind.

"Wh-what?" he said, not quite able to make sense of her words at first.

"I said, remind me to remind you to take those condom wrappers with you when you leave."

"Why?" he croaked, rubbing at his eyes.

"Because… it doesn't matter that I've opted out of daily room cleaning - Mrs. Galloway still comes in here to empty the trash bins every day at noon on the dot."

"Mrs. Galloway? Isn't she like 101 years old, half blind and senile as fuck?" Edward snorted, rolling onto his side to make himself more comfortable.

"More like 72, and nosy like you wouldn't believe it!"

"Right, okay…Can't have people knowing you have a sex life," he huffed, shaking his head.

"Easy for you to say," she responded, eyes turning cold. "Guys don't get slut-shamed for engaging in casual sex. They get high-fived."

Ouch! Edward grimaced. Her words stung, even though he understood the dark place of anguish that brought them forth.

"You know what? Forget I said anything… I'll flush them. I should have thought of that sooner."

"No, I get it, Bella. You have a point. Leave it to me. I'll take care of it. I'll do the walk of shame and I'll burry the evidence of our tryst in some nondescript trash can on my way home. Anything else you want gone, just name it..."

Only as the words fell from his lips, did he realize what he'd just said. .. At least he'd said trash can instead of dumpster, but that didn't make him sound any less like an insensitive jerk.

Oh fu….damn it!

It took all of a second before he knew she'd made the connection. Her breath hitched and her movements stilled.

"I-…Isabella, I swear, it wasn't a dig at… you know, the past, or anything. It was just me not thinking before I opened my big mouth."

"Isabella? You never call me that," she commented, skillfully avoiding the actual topic at hand. She pushed away a bit to look at him."It sounds weird coming from you."

Suddenly aware the sheet had slipped down to her waist, she reached for it to cover herself. "You do know that's not my name anymore, don't you?"

"Right, yeah . I've heard its Belle, now." He trapped her hand between his two, drawing the letters B. S. (for bullshit, but also for Bella Swan) on the back of her wrist with his fingertips. "Belle Higgin-freaking-bot-…"

"Higginbotham," she cut him short. "My mom's maiden name."

"I knew THAT… I'm fine with Belle. If you want me to call you Belle, I'll try and do so… but as for the rest of it… I don't like it. Honestly, of all the gazillion names out there, you had to go and pick that one?"

"I'm sorry, but you liking it or not is irrelevant." As she spoke she rolled on to her back and scooted away to put some distance between them. He instantly missed the warmth of her body.

"I didn't mean to upset you, sorry," he muttered. This wasn't going well at all.

She hesitated for a moment, a guarded look had crept into her eyes now. "I don't have to explain myself to you," she finally responded. "My life and my decisions are none of you business…."

"Point taken." He held his hands up, palms facing out in a surrender-like gesture. The last thing he wanted was to upset her - especially when his instincts were yelling at him to pull her close and not let go.

This just served as another reminder how very far apart their lives truly had taken them. Also, if he hadn't known it before, he sure as hell knew it now; he really REALLY needed to have a serious talk with her.

It had certainly been a relief to get that long overdue initial apology out of the way, but there was still so much he wanted -no, needed –to tell her. There were certain aspects of their joint past that should have been ironed out, or at least ventilated, ages ago.

"Bella, you're right. I really don't know the first thing about your life. I know nothing about your goals, desires, finances, health and family situation." He raised his hands again to preemptively stop her from interrupting. "No, listen. The same goes for you as well. There are obviously quite a few things about me and my life that you are not aware of. Not all of it is… pretty, if you know what I mean?"

Her head tilted sideways and her forehead furrowed. "I'm not sure I follow… Is this what your brother was referring to in his text message? You know, the embarrassing details he felt you wouldn't want me hearing from anyone but you?"

"Sort of… To be honest I think that was more of veiled threat than anything else. You know, his way of letting me know, if I don't tell you, he has no problem doing it for me…"

"Okay… So, is this about why you're here and not in New York? Because, when I asked about that, both you and Emmett got all got all weird, and things turned a bit awkward. "

"Of course you picked up on that," he muttered, moving to prop his head up on his arm. "Yes, I suppose we could start there. I didn't go to New York for Juilliard, or any other city, or college, because I had a bit of a medical emergency the summer after graduating high school. And as a direct result of that, it was decided that I needed a gap year and a change of scenery in order to make full recovery."

"What kind of emergency?"Bella shifted on the mattress, rearranging the sheet around her for the umpteenth time. "Wait! Where you in rehab? Did you OD or something?"

"Or something," Edward responded, forcing a tight lipped smile. He knew that his 'or something' was a cop-out, but he wasn't about to divulge that particular piece of information just yet. By the look on her face though, he could tell he had to give her something more to work with.

"Honestly, I was depressed and high as fuck for my WHOLE senior year. My attendance went to shit. I know that rules were bent on my behalf. If my grades hadn't been up there, I wouldn't have been allowed to graduate…."

"So… what you're saying is, that you partied hard that summer, I take it?"

"Yeah, long story short…. I was rushed to the ER, go my stomach pumped, before I was shot up with all these fabulous drugs that were supposed to make me feel better, but of course, only made me feel even worse than I already did," he explained without actually explaining anything. It wasn't an outright lie, just not the entire truth. "My father was the one calling the ambulance. The official version of what happened is that I suffered from an Anaphylaxis shock due to a change in my medication – which, of course, is complete bullshit. I don't know what he did, or what he said to get away with that, and frankly I'm not sure I want to know."

He could tell from the look she gave him that she understood. It had most likely been one of those 'money talks' situations.

"Anyway, while in hospital, I said some stuff about not wanting to live anymore. I've been in dark places before, but never that bad. It felt like it could swallow me whole. I guess I had never ever vocalized it as strongly or candidly before. My parents decided they were done playing nice with me. I ended up in a place specializing in substance abuse treatment and cognitive behavioral therapy… I wasn't responsive to it at first, but later tries worked better and I guess the rest is history."

"Okay, I can see why you needed a gap year… Where was this place? Seattle?" she asked softly, playing with the hem of the sheet. He knew why she asked, knew Bella herself had spent time in a similar facility in Seattle, before requesting a move to Arizona.

"No, Alaska. My parents found this place, this horse farm offering therapy through wilderness experiences… or some stupid shit like that. I don't know why they thought it would be a good fit for me. I mean, I'm not exactly an outdoorsy person… or an animal enthusiast. It must have been the fact that it was located like literally, in the middle of nowhere, that appealed to them…"

Bella's expression had turned pensive. "I'm glad your parents sent you to a place where you could get professional help. What about afterwards? What about Juilliard? Did you lose your shot altogether, or did that one year worth of 'wilderness experiences' make you have a change at heart?" She put 'wilderness experiences' in air quotes with her fingers. "I have to admit, I have a hard time imagining you on a horseback riding adventure," she added in a somewhat teasingly. More than likely she was trying to figure him out, same as he was doing with her.

"I did actually get to do my interview with Juilliard. It went pretty well, I think. However, when it came time prepare and practice for the actual audition, I just couldn't focus-… I still wasn't in the right mind frame for something like that…"

"And it was Juilliard, or nothing?"

"Pretty much. At the time, Emmett was rooting for me to join him in Seattle, but it never worked out that way. I did some online classes between my first and second stint in Alaska, but honestly, I was still a mess."

"Your first and second stint? You went back a second time? Is that's what you meant when you said you weren't responsive to it at first? "

"Yeah. I was there 16 months in total."He sighed.

"Edward, taking a time-out to work on yourself through therapy is nothing to be embarrassed about."

Suddenly, he became acutely aware that she had reached out to touch him. Her fingers were grazing the back of his free hand.

"No, I know that," he answered slowly, his eyes seeking out hers for a split second before both her hand and her face moved away from him.

"You do realize I finished high school in a mental health facility, right? I'm almost certain I have logged more therapy hours than you," she added, still not looking at him.

"Bella, I haven't kept track, but I don't think I'm that far behind you on those hours, to be honest. Not that it is a contest or anything…"

There was a tangible change in the atmosphere, one that he didn't much like. He scrambled to find a less heavy topic of conversation.

"So…. I bet you were surprised to see me in black turnout gear the other day! I mean, more surprised than hearing about my horseback riding adventures…. Did you like my uniform, Swan?"

"Yellow neon stripes really become you," she deadpanned. "I must say your career choice is a bit of a shocker to me. I didn't expect you to pick something that requires manual labor…. or teamwork, to be honest."

"It was Peter, my therapist, who recommended it, actually. He thinks I would go stir crazy with a 'regular' desk job. He says I need something that gives me an outlet for my nervous energy. "

"Why firefighter though? Wouldn't it make more sense to work in security and team up with your brother?"

"Honestly, I don't trust myself to keep my temper if I am provoked. That pretty much rules out most 'security' type jobs. And I don't want to haul lumber for a living either... The fire department advertizes for new recruits once a year. I heard an ad on the radio and thought I'd give it a try. It involves 350 hours of training which is, obviously, gonna be a test of character and patience BIG time for me."

"You're brave for trying something outside your comfort zone. I'll give you that."

"Thanks. If I can get through it, then I could maybe go on and specialize in something like wildland fire management, or special operations… And if it turns out I can't hack it, then maybe I could delve into the science side of fires instead and become a fire investigator, arson expert or fire safety specialist… though I'm pretty sure that would require a college degree. Not too keen on going back to school… But we'll see how it goes. I just know I'll never be a lovey-dovey people person, so that kind of limits my options a bit."

From the slight frown between her brows, he could tell she still didn't understand where he was coming from.

"Listen, perhaps it makes more sense if I tell you I've had first-hand experience with kind of destruction a fire can cause. Incidentally, I crossed path with a raging wildfire while I was up in Alaska. It crept closer and closer to the farm until the point where everyone had to evacuate. I got to see how firefighters work up close and I guess it made an impression. So much so, that when Peter suggested I needed to find a profession that is challenging for both body and mind – this is what came to mind."

"Okay, but … I mean, how does it work with your OCD? I'm pretty sure firefighters see their fair share of blood and gore and germs-…"

"Oh, they do. Definitely," he agreed. "I'm not saying this will be smooth sailing with no mishaps. However, I'm better at sticking to my medication regimen these days. Obviously, I still have triggers, but I'm more aware what they are and how to avoid them."

She acknowledged his words with a nod. "I bet you love the gloves that comes with your uniform?"

"My uniform is my amour. Honestly though, it's just a matter of developing different coping mechanisms for different situations."

"I don't mean to sound discouraging, but -…."

"Bella, it's fine. I get it. You're wondering if I really know what I'm in for… It's what everyone is wondering - me included. I've only just started my training, but so far so good. I haven't done much medical training yet. That's the real test, I suppose."

"Oh… Medical training as in CPR with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation…?"

"We're actually required to carry latex gloves and our own personal mask and face shield to prevent direct contact when assisting in medical emergencies. So hopefully I'll be alright. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. "

"I'll keep my fingers crossed for you," she said, fighting back a yawn.

"This is actually one of the biggest reasons why I picked Forks fire department over Port Angele's… Because there is no ambulance within the department, they partake in fewer medical interventions. The only downside is the longish commute."

"Don't take this the wrong way Edward, but between your OCD and your history of drug abuse, how did you even pass the background check to begin with? Or do they not screen new recruits before taking them on?"

"There was a written exam, several physical ability tests and a comprehensive oral interview. I passed them all. I assume they did a cursory background check before the interview, but all the asked about was the times I was busted for weed in high school. I answered all and every question openly and truthfully… They must have thought I deserved a chance to put my life to better use... or something. I don't know."

He wondered silently what Bella would say if she knew her father had written a letter of recommendation for him. Would that shock her? Probably.

"If this is a career move that makes sense to you Edward, then that's excellent!" she said softly. "It genuinely made happy to hear you say that for once in your life you're right where you want to be-…"

"Eh. Hold up! When did I say that?"

"You know, when we were talking earlier. You, me and Em, out on that parking lot…"

"Ah, after our not-so-chance meeting," he said sheepishly with an almost guilty look on his face. "Yeah well, about that… Uhm, that wasn't necessarily me, being all philosophical talking about my life and career goals and… shit like that. It was more a reference to how my stalk-ish ways had me in the right place, at the right time. I mean, think about it…"

"Oh? OH."Realization as to what he really meant seemed to dawn on her.

"For once in my life, I was exactly where I needed to be, so that I could intercept that low life scum before he could inflict any serious harm. I failed to look out for you in the past, but not this time. All because I was glued to that window watching you-…"

She reached out and slapped him lightly, a blow he hadn't seen coming.

"Ouch! What was that for?" He yelped and rubbed his chest, as if to exaggerate the pain.

"You're turning into one of those shady politicians talking with double meaning. I'm too exhausted to try and keep up," she complained, with a shake of her head. "You couldn't just let me be happy about you being happy and at peace with your life?"

She looked cute with her nose scrunched up and her eyebrows knitted together in frustration… or was it confusion? To hell with caution. His hand found its way to the small of her back so that he could pull her in closer again.

"Sorry...It wasn't intentional." He smiled at her. "Honestly, I'm not unhappy or anything. I don't know if I've found my purpose in life yet, but I am on the road to finding it, if that makes sense?"

"Fair enough."

She hadn't pushed him away. Instead, she seemed to be deep in thought.

"You still think the whole thing sounds crazy?" he asked her curiously.

"No. Not at all. It sounds like you've come quite a long way over the past few years. You used to be this angry, broken kid that didn't care about anyone or anything but yourself. Now, you're looking for a job where you can make a difference. That's pretty awesome."

"I don't know how much difference I've made, if any. I don't know how much difference I'll end up making, if any. But I hope I won't regret that I tried." He kissed her forehead as if thanking her for seeing the efforts he had made to turn his life around.

"Speaking of progress… and making a difference," he said, deciding it was time to direct the focus on something else. "I've heard your academic endeavors have been very successful. And I've heard about your scholarship. Congratulations. You called me brave earlier. But considering the path you've chosen, I have to say you're the brave one, Bella. I mean, working with troubled teens must be one of the toughest gigs around."

"How do you even know about the scholarship or any of that, really?" She was shaking her head. "Not that it was meant to be a secret. It just amazes me that half the town seems to know what I've been up to and what my plans are. Is it Sue, you know, dad's girlfriend? Has she been going around talking me up to anyone who'll listen, or something?"

"Be-e-e-p. Wrong answer," he said, with a small smile. "Try again. I can't speak for the other townies, but I get my intel from someone a little more closely related to you than Sue."

"What? Someone closer? You mean…Charlie?"

Her eyes had widened and she looked so bewildered, he couldn't stop the chuckle that bubbled out of him.

"Don't look so surprised. Your father always makes a point of telling me how great you're doing. I always get an update, whether I want one or not."

"Huh, really? I mean, you two speak… like in person, with one another?"

"Sure, I mean, not all that often, but it does happen occasionally… We've had our fare share of tense conversations, but also some perfectly civil ones. He's never liked me much, but we haven't been at each other's throat in a long while. He always speaks very fondly of you, Bella. Always."

He glanced over to find her chewing on her lip as if debating on how to respond.

"You honestly thought he never spoke about you?"

"With you? That would be, a big fat no," she shrugged, trying to play the matter down, but it didn't work. Something was off about her.

"Listen Edward, did he…. You said you were one of the first one to arrive on site when he suffered his heart attack. Did he say anything… about me? Or anything at all?"

Her voice sounded so small. So childlike.

"Bella, it was a massive heart attack. He made the 911 call himself, but by the time we got to him he was in no condition to speak.

"Was he in pain? Did he realize it was life-and-death serious? Was he frightened?"

"I didn't get a good read on the situation. I chose to stay back and let those who knew what they were doing do the work. I've heard heart attacks can be painful and frightful, because you don't understand what's happening to you, or how to make it stop. In your father's case however, I think he was aware that it was a heart related condition and that it was rather serious. He's had a long history of heart problems, from what I understand. Right?"

"Yeah," she nodded, ducking her head so he wouldn't look at her. He pretended he didn't see her wipe hastily at her eyes.

"I regret not coming to visit him sooner." She heaved a sigh that sounded alarmingly like a sob. "I knew his health was deteriorating, but I didn't expect this. It kills me to know I'll never be able to have a normal conversation with him again."

"Bella, you couldn't have known… no one saw this coming. Not even Sue, who lived with him. You spoke to him regularly, didn't you? I know you and Sue took him on that cruise for his birthday. I'm sure he appreciated that. In fact, I know he appreciated that, because he wouldn't shut up about it for weeks afterwards."

"That was for his birthday two years ago." She gave him an odd look. "Charlie sunburned so bad he had water blisters that were so painful he couldn't even put-..."

"…his clothes on for a week," Edward finished the sentence for her. "What? Was I not supposed to know that?"

"I-…No…Never mind." She sighed. "Last time I actually spoke to him in person was about ten months ago, when we were in Hawaii for Leah's wedding. Of course, Seth was there too, so everything was a bit tense. It didn't seem like the right time or place for any in depth father-daughter conversation… but I realize now I was just looking for excuses not to talk about anything real or important with him… It was just easier that way."

He wondered if he should tell her the sentiment had been mutual. The truth was, Charlie Swan had been cushioning his daughter from reality for a long ass time… too long.

 _When you wait for the right opportunity, it might not ever come_.

The thought popped up from nowhere. Edward didn't push it away. Instead, the next words out of his mouth are spurred on by this sense of 'now or never'. Or perhaps by a bout of intense stupidity…

"You wonna know what I learned from my last conversation with Charlie?" he asked her, seemingly out of the blue.

"What did you learn? And when was this?" She turned her head to face him full-on.

"I'll tell you… The conversation started out the same way most our conversations did," he said, as he sank deeper into the bed, smothering himself against his pillow. "Charlie asked how I was doing. I told him I was good. My dad was in the same room, so he jumped in to inform Charlie that I'd been accepted as a recruit firefighter-…"

"So it was fairly recent then?"

"About, five weeks ago. We were at Emmett's and Rosalie's place, for a family get-together of sorts," he answered before he continued. "We discussed the training and the amount of hours I had to complete. Your father more or less told me he didn't think I could do it, though he didn't say it in a mean-spirited way or anything. He actually wished me all the best and said he thought I deserved a break."

"Wow, that sounds a bit un-Charlie-like… the whole giving someone a break and being fair. "

"I know. He must have gone soft in his old age. I went to him before I even applied, because I thought he should hear it from me directly. You're not going to believe this Bella, but Charlie wrote me a letter of recommendation."

"He did what?"she sputtered.

"Yep, it was his suggestion. He hand delivered it to the Fire Chief himself. I have no idea what was in the letter, as I didn't get to read it first. It can't have been all bad though, because your dad didn't seem all that surprised to hear that I had been accepted. But like I said, he did not hold back on what he thought of my chances of actually completing the program."

"Wow. Not sure what to do with this information, but thanks for telling me. "

"Bella, my story doesn't end here. There is more. It was a birthday party so cake was had and present were opened… As your father was getting ready to leave he gave us his usual update on how you were doing, with your classes, your certification and stuff like that. I wasn't kidding you when I said he always does that. We call it the 'the-monthly-Bella-update'. As per usual, he said he'd try and get you to come home for Christmas this year… but he says that every year… so we didn't make a big deal out of it."

"Right, yeah. He and Sue always invite me, but I always turn them down. Christmas is just not a great time of year for me."

"This is where our conversation derailed from its usual course. I ended up getting two seconds alone with Charlie. Sue followed mom to the kitchen to get a copy of some almond four bread recipe and dad was accosted by one of the kids… and no one else was around. It was just me and Charlie. I sort of, kind of, ended up asking him a question that I've never been brave enough to ask him before."

"What did you ask? Was it about me? Did you ask for my address, or phone number or something?" Her forehead was furrowed and her red lips were compressed in a thin line.

"No. I asked him something about the past… about our past." He paused and took one last, deep breath, giving himself one final pep talk. "Bella, I asked if he didn't think it was time to tell you the whole truth about certain things. Your father answered that he didn't think you were ready. He said there would come a day when you would bring it up yourself, but until that day occurred he wasn't going to say anything."

He waited for a reaction that never came. She stared back at him, unmoving and expression stone-like.

"You're saying my father has been keeping something from me?" she finally asked. "Is this about… Jake?" The split-second pause before the name was the only indication of any emotional turmoil on the inside. "Did Charlie not think I would find out how he died? Is that it?"

Edward found himself shaking his head before she'd even finished her question. Because, that's an entirely different conversation for an entirely different time.

The rumor at the time had been that Jake had been in talks with the feds, or the DEA, or possibly just his lawyer, about possibly cooperating on some unspecified investigation in exchange for some kind of leniency. A very vague rumor, with very little credibility or substance. By Forks logic, however, this all meant he was about to turn on his allies… Dun dun dun dun… a week later the guy turned up dead.

A sudden nausea came over Edward, but he couldn't stop now. He had to keep going. "No, Bella. It's not about…that." He waited for the words to sink in before dropping the bomb. "It's about Gracie."

"Gracie?" Bella sounded… confused. Her movements were a bit jerky as she pushed herself up to a sitting position.

"Yes, Elizabeth Grace or baby Gracie." There! He had finally done it. For the first time ever, he had said the name of their daughter aloud while in the same room as Bella.

Well, actually her full name was Elisabeth Grace Cullen, but he thought it was better give that 'tiny' detail away just yet. For the time being, it was a big step just acknowledging that she existed.

"You picked the name and told the nurses to call her Gracie? You don't remember any of this, do you?" he tried again, hoping to jog something concrete from her mind.

He had to remind himself to remain calm. Unlike five years ago, he now knew the real reason why her memory was spotty and incomplete in certain areas. He knew it wasn't her fault. It wasn't something she did on purpose.

"No, I remember," she said quietly, not meeting his gaze.

Edward took a harsh breath. "You do?"

"Yeah…"

He waited but she didn't say anything else.

"Bella?"

"Hmmm."

"She's in Forks. Gracie has been in Forks this whole time. That's the thing Charlie has kept from you … out of concern for your wellbeing, I'm sure… but still, I've always felt you were entitled to know this. You don't have to do anything with this new information. I just wanted you to know that if you ever decide you want to see her, or write to her, or whatever….it can be arranged."

At last came the explosion he had been waiting for. "I-… That's so CRUEL. Why would anyone do THAT!" She flew out of the bed arms flailing.

Suddenly she was angry, no, she was furious. It wasn't terribly unexpected, of course. No one likes being lied to.

"How could you allow it! HOW COULD YOU!" she shouted, trying to steady herself.

"I didn't ask for much… I didn't express any particular request!" she continued.

Her voice had taken a slight hysterical pitch now.

Perhaps Charlie Swan had been right all along. Perhaps, she wasn't ready to hear the truth at all.

"This is not how it was supposed to be!"

"I know that Bella. Calm down!" He realized her legs were caught up in the sheet, and reached out help her. But his movement frightened her and caused her to shy away, which in turn had her toppling over.

He couldn't catch her in time. She hit the floor with a loud thud, but not without smacking her head against the wall first.

"BELLA!"

.

…

.


	75. Chapter 75

**-=[Isabelle Higginbotham, the present ]=-**

.

Edward's footsteps had long-since disappeared, leaving Bella alone in the loud silence of her thoughts… and her headache. She tenderly touched the back of her head and winced. There was already a nasty bump forming and every time she checked it seemed to have doubled in size. By some small miracle there was no blood, no open wound, but it still hurt… a lot.

Her pride was a bit bruised as well.

It must have looked quite comical, the way her legs had gotten caught in the bed sheets, sending her crashing towards the floor. Not only had she nearly managed to knock herself unconscious on the skirting board on the way down, but she'd ended up sprawled out butt naked on the floor in the process. She would probably laugh at her own misfortune in a day or two when the initial headache and embarrassment had subsided.

It wasn't the naked part that bothered her, or the fact that she was such a bona fide klutz, no the part she wished she could undo, or perhaps redo, was her somewhat strong reaction (read: near complete melt-down) to what she'd just learned. Because, if she was being honest with herself, her behavior had been irate, bordering on panicky, even before smacking her head against the floor.

Not that it wasn't a justified reaction, it was just that she prided herself on having worked hard on becoming a more rational, sensible person, one that was difficult to upset or stress out. Edward's revelation had caught her off guard though. She'd been thrown by the news, shocked, even…. And upset, definitely upset. Without warning she found herself acting and reacting like the emotionally unstable teenager she'd once been and she didn't like it one single bit.

And now Bella was sitting there wishing the bed would swallow her whole before Edward came back to the room. He probably thought she was one step from losing it completely, among all the other things he must be thinking.

At least Edward had shown the tact (or good taste) not to comment on her near-meltdown. Not only that, but he'd even gone as far as shushing her when she tried to speak.

" _Shhh Bella, no words needed right now."_

However, there was also a lot of muttering about concussion and skull fractures coming from him, which frankly had the opposite of calming effect on her.

" _Does it hurt when you move your head? Can you sit up?"_

At one point he'd waved three fingers before her face asking her to count them. It had taken some serous tongue-biting there, not to tell him to stick his fingers where the sun don't shine. Instead, she settled for asking if he could please fetch her something cold from the mini fridge to ice the swelling with. See, she could control her impulses AND be polite when she needed to.

Conveniently (for Bella)the mini fridge turned out to be empty - no cold cans or bottles, no ice, not even an ice compartment… nothing. This had prompted Edward to pull his jeans and t-shirt on and set out to locate the nearest ice machine (if one even existed). And so…this was how Bella had finally been allowed this much needed quiet moment to herself.

Edward had left her with strict instructions to remain absolutely still until he came back. However, the first thing she did was to get up and grab the bathrobe off the hook on the back of the bathroom door.

Moving about made her feel pretty woozy, so she returned to the bed. She knew she had to try and get some quick thinking done before Edward returned. She had so many conflicting emotions to sort through and possible scenarios to consider.

What it boiled down to was that a great many things had been kept from her, not necessarily with deceitful intent, but that didn't stop her from feeling betrayed and utterly frustrated...There was no misunderstanding; she'd been lied to by people she trusted… over a long period of time.

Bella knew, of course, when all was said and done, part of the blame was her own. She'd certainly done her best to break all ties with her past. After the trial had ended, she'd left Forks and never looked back, not even to say goodbye to people she was leaving behind. The only two persons she'd maintained sporadic contact with were Charlie and Sue… But even with them, she'd had spent years perfecting the art of avoiding talking about anything remotely substantial or meaningful.

'Communication is a two-way street' - Sue's words from a few hours prior rang even more true now.

There had been rules for their conversations, rules that Bella herself had laid down. Certain topics were strictly forbidden. In fact, they'd had several falling-outs with each other over the years, month long periods, during which Bella had point blank refused to speak to her father.

Bella wasn't proud to admit this, but it was typically what would happen whenever her father made attempts to ask questions she didn't feel like answering, e.g how therapy was going, if the medication was still working well for her, or if she had attained this or that milestone in her recovery. 'Are you sleeping through the nights? No? What about hobbies? Have you picked one yet? You've gotta have some other interest outside of school, you know. Are you getting out? Going to the gym? Meeting people your own age? Dating?'

The straw that broke the camel's back had been when Charlie tried giving her a speech about how a girl her age should be dating, partying, hanging out with friends, clubbing until the early hours. She hadn't spoken to him for over six month following that particular discussion.

So, that being said, Bella could kind of understand why her father had been wary about what he said around her… Yet at the same time, that didn't justify keeping something of this magnitude from her. Okay fine, she'd never asked, so technically her father might not have lied… other than by omission. She still felt manipulated though and utterly, utterly alone… This all cemented what she already knew, she literally had no one on her side… NO ONE.

She kept thinking back to the last time she'd spoken to her father in person… at Leah's wedding. They'd engaged in some small talk, but nothing beyond that. Of course, her father would never say or do anything that could cause a scene on Leah's big day… Neither would Sue….

Because, of course, Sue must be in the know too. Right?! Sue, who Bella had visited over lunch, who she'd sat across the table from less than 24 hours ago. Come to think of it now, they'd even broached the subject of Bella's troublesome teen years, albeit in passing. Sue could have easily said something then, or at least hinted at knowing more than she let on… but nope, not a word…

' _Oh, you know why no one tells you anything,'_ Bella's inner voice mocked her through the pain induced fog in her mind. 'They all think you're crazy. A loose cannon. A total nut job-… '

That's not even what's important here! Bella cut her thoughts off with a shake of her head. A movement she instantly regretted it when the throbbing pain intensified. She pulled her knees up and rested her forehead against them, taking a deep breath.

What it came down to was this: the baby she had birthed and put up for adoption when she was 17, was currently in Forks. Grace, she corrected herself. Her name was Grace. A five year old is far too old to be called a baby. So...Grace was roughly half an hour away. And it wasn't a new thing – the child had apparently been living there all along. That was what Edward had been trying to tell her before she'd made a fool out of herself, freaking out completely.

Just thinking about it now had Bella getting worked up all over again. She could feel the confusion and hurt welling up inside her. This was not how it was supposed to be .It was not the arrangement made and it certainly didn't line up with the agreement she'd signed. Bella's pain-soaked mind desperately tried making sense of it all, but really, nothing made any sense at all.

She felt like throwing something against the wall. She felt like screaming out her frustration. She felt like crying. "Damn it!"

Of course, this was the moment the door to the room was unlocked from the outside.

Edward was back again.

.

…..

.

Bella slowly lifted her head off her knees just in time to see Edward walk through the door.

"I couldn't find any ice," he started saying. However, as he saw she'd put on a bathrobe, his tone changed. "Hey, you got dressed! I thought I told you not to move!"

"I'm in the exact same spot you left me in. Stop dictating what I can and cannot do!" Bella snapped too tired and grouchy to put up with this crap.

At first, he didn't say anything. An agonizing silent pause followed. Then, she heard him move closer and felt the mattress dipping as he sat next to her and so she peaked over at him then, just to gauge his mood.

That's when he finally spoke."I don't know what I expected. You never were good at taking orders, were you?"

"Never," she replied, lowering her head on her knees, hiding her face from his view. "Given the circumstances, I'd say it's not a bad thing I'm thick-skulled."

"You gave me a scare, for sure. I really did think you'd cracked your skull open, or broken your neck or something," he admitted. "A concussion isn't something you mess around with though."

"My head is fine, Edward," she insisted.

"Come on! It's not fine! I thought we were past lying to one another."

Oh, that's rich coming from him, she thought, but bit her tongue. "Fine. Yes, my head took quite a whack and now it's pounding like a drum straight up from hell. But Edward, the last thing I want is you fussing over me. I'm fine. I can cope-…"

"Of course you can cope. If I didn't think that, I would have insisted on taking you to the E.R."

"Twice in less than 12 hours, that would have been a new record even for me," she muttered.

"But I'm not gonna do that," he continued."Even if you do have a concussion, you're awake and able to hold a conversation. No other symptoms as far as I can tell. No dilated pupils or trouble with balance-…"

"Why thank you, doctor. Now, stop channeling your father. There is a more serious conversation to be had here. Sorry Edward, but you can't drop a bomb like the one you did earlier and expect to get away with it."

"Yeah, I figured you'd want to talk about it." He sighed, like he wasn't thrilled with this."Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're still speaking to me. From your reaction earlier I thought maybe you were about to flip out on me completely - you know, to the point where you'd never want to see me again…"

"If I seemed angry-…"

"It's understandable," he said, interrupting her."Anger, frustration, hurt… All of those emotions are justified.."

"I just wanted to say that if I seemed angry it's not necessarily directed solely at you, but at the situation in general. I didn't ask for much, just one simple little thing... I specifically asked for a closed adoption. I signed the agreement, I did my part. Yet five years later, the kid is still in Forks and… and I don't know how that happened… or what happened. Is this your parent's doing? You've gotta help me fill in the blanks here. Help me make sense of this mess!"

"I'll try. But please, give me a sec to get comfortable before we do this…." He didn't wait for her response before he kicked off his shoes, swung his legs up on the bed and crossed his ankles. It was around this time he realized there was something he'd forgotten.

"Oh shoot, it totally slipped my mind! Here, for you," he said, offering Bella the can of soda he'd been holding onto ever since entering the room. "It's not ice, but it's cold-ish. You could try and hold it against-…"

"I've got it. Thanks," she said, accepting the gift, immediately putting it to use as a makeshift icepack. It felt nice. She'd love to take some painkillers as well, but wasn't sure which ones were 'safe' given the circumstance. Was it ibuprofen that could cause internal bleeding? Or paracetamol?

Just then, Edward's calm but ominous sounding voice interrupted her thoughts."Bella, how much of the adoption process do you actually remember?"

"I-…admittedly, not a lot."She heaved a sigh. As much as she dreaded it, this was a conversation they needed to have. It simply couldn't be avoided any longer. "I do remember enough to know I did not imagine the whole thing. Nothing you say will convince me it didn't happen. I signed those documents, I know I did!"

"That's not what I'm saying. Listen, I wasn't present when you made your decision, or when you met up with the people from the adoption agency…It was my own fault, or choice, or whatever… No blame game here. I'm just saying I wasn't present for any of that, so can't possibly know what exactly was said, or what documents you signed, or didn't sign. That's why I'm asking you to tell me what you remember."

"Right. Sorry, I'm not trying to be difficult on purpose… I'm just not used to ... talking about this."

"I promise I'll listen without interruptions. We can compare notes, mine and yours, when you're done, okay? We'll piece together what we know and hopefully that will help you with the bigger picture."

"I-…" She felt her breathing hitch in her throat for a brief second. "I remember meeting with the woman from the adoption agency on several occasions. I remember not understanding why it had to be such alengthy-drawn out process. Like why drag it out for months, when my mind was already made up from the start? They had all these conditions and requirements I had to comply to."

"What kind of conditions?" Edward asked, looking at her intently - already forgetting the part about not interrupting, it seemed.

"For starters, they insisted on me attending counseling before a placement could even be considered. They also insisted I had to see and hold the baby, before signing away my parental rights. In hindsight, I've been wondering if..." she trailed off. "Never mind. It's stupid…"

"If what?"

"If your parents were behind that particular request?"

"That's-…. entirely possible. Yes. I mean, they managed to talk me into doing something similar. I visited the NICU in Seattle while Gracie was admitted there. I didn't want to go anywhere near that place, but they gave me hell for refusing. "

He picked at the blanket he was sitting on top of and looked down at his hands, as if needing the time to figure out how to explain the next bit.

"I didn't know you went there. No one told me that. I don't think."

"I think they were hoping seeing her would have an impact on me, because this was while it was still touch-and-go as to whether she'd make it or not. I can't blame my parents for trying, but-…"

Just then, a thought occurred to Bella."Wait! Did your parents guilt trip you into doing something you didn't want to? Edward, did they talk you into filing an objection to the adoption? Is that what happened?"

"What? No," he said, taken aback by the query. "I told my parents and anyone who asked, that the decision was yours to make and yours alone. I didn't want any part of it. Honestly, me stopping and reflecting on what was happening—and what could be changed—just never even crossed my mind. I just wanted to forget that year of my life ever happened. I wanted you and every evidence of our time together erased."

He wanted to erase me like I never existed….

Bella heard herself draw in her breath sharply. A stab of conflicting feelings ripped through her like an emotional tornado.

Edward must have heard it too, as he offered a quick 'sorry' and ran his hand through his messy hair. "I'm just telling you how I felt at the time. My reasoning was selfish. I was selfish. I told myself the best thing I could do for you and that child was to not get involved."

His face grew pensive in the half-light of the dusk hours, which sort of made him look like his younger, teenage self there for a moment. "I said and did a lot of shitty things back in the day. Essentially, I was just grabbing any excuse to duck responsibility, which in itself says a lot about my level of maturity. It all just goes to prove kids shouldn't have kids. "

Bella pulled her knees up, again, wrapping her arms around them. His words bothered her more than she would care to admit, she wanted to call him out for being unjust, but she had an inkling it would not end well. She looked down, for a second, then peeked at him out of the corner of her eye.

He'd stopped talking and was staring back at her with a serious look on his face. He raised an eyebrow as if asking 'are you alright?'

She let out a sigh and gave a small nod.

"Bella, I'm aware that there are loads of teenage parents out there finding ways to making it work without the kids being negatively affected in any way, but… I just didn't think that was in the cards for us.I mean, we couldn't even have a civil conversation about our situation and our problems. And, without the ability to communicate, we stood no chance."

She wanted to remind him that he'd given her exactly zero opportunities to have any conversations with him about anything. However, she knew that was not entirely his fault.

The thing was, Bella had gone from being hospitalized with restricted visits and no mobile phone, to being on imposed house arrest while awaiting trial. The house arrest had been a bail condition and while there was nothing saying she couldn't have contact with the outside world, her father had insisted on keeping a restrictive approach as to who she was allowed to speak to.

She knew Edward had been detained too. Only difference was his family could afford a truly top-notch lawyer, who, of course, had gotten him released on bail in record time, with seemingly no conditions what so ever... Apart from the usual 'don't skip town!', of course.

Edward could have tried to reach out to her then, but he'd chosen not to. In fact, he'd shown absolutely no interest in interacting with her. There had been no calls, no messages, no visits, nothing… No contact during her hospitalization and the few times they'd accidentally crossed paths afterwards had been… unpleasant, awkward and downright hurtful.

Things had been said that couldn't be unsaid. And nothing had been resolved. He'd made it pretty darn the he thought she was a liar and a skank, and a colorful assortment of more swearwords. He'd gone as far as telling her he didn't even care for the truth anymore, and that she deserved everything coming to her...

' _You're getting no sympathy from me. I'll be laughing while you're getting fitted for a straight jacket to wear on your trip to the padded room. That's what you get for rolling with Satan!'_

To some degree she knew that Edward had been lashing out as a way of coping with frayed nerves, high anxiety and dread. It didn't justify anything. It just meant they both had said and done cruel and inexcusable things that seeped with regret and oozed with self-loathing.

"-….documents you signed? And – wait, Swan, are you even listening?"

Bella looked up when she felt a nudge to her shoulder. She blinked, realizing she'd been on the verge of spacing out completely. "Adoption papers…" she managed to croak out. "You asked about the documents I signed."

"I asked if you read the documents before signing them and also, who presented you with them? Who was in the room when you signed them?"

"The adoption agency had them drawn up. There were several documents. Starting with the actual adoption agreement, of course, but also the legal transfer of parental rights and the request for sealing of records… and probably some other shit I do not remember right now."

"I ask again, did you actually read through any of those documents before signing?"

"You didn't let me finish," she snapped, glaring at him. "I found the legal jargon confusing, but dad made sure our lawyer looked them over. Obviously, I wouldn't have signed anything, if it wasn't correctly done. I think, no I know, it was me and my dad in the room… and also, two assistants from the lawyer's office, who were there to witness my signature."

"And when was this? When did you sign the documents? Like time wise, was it before or after you went to Seattle and visited Grace in the hospital?"

"After. I already told you that. Visiting the hospital was a requirement that I had to fulfill in order to move forward with the process."

"Okay. Sorry." He held his palms up in a non-threatening gesture. "You went to Seattle, you held the baby, you named her Grace, then you went back to Forks-…"

"Even more determined that the baby deserved a better life than I could give her," she interrupted him.

"Answer me this Bella - do you remember what happened after you came back to Forks? Do you remember flipping out? Because you DID flip out. From what I've heard, there was supposed to be some sort of official meeting taking place, but you started screaming and throwing things around the room. You refused calming down, refused talking to anyone, refused listening-…"

"Who told you that? My father? I mean, that's like a gross exaggeration of what happened. I-..they wanted me to do more therapy. I'd complied with everything they asked me to do, but it still wasn't enough. I just wanted it over and done with. I told them I was done talking, I told them to get out and not come back until all the paperwork was ready. I didn't flip out and I wasn't being unreasonable… They weren't holding up their end of things, they kept adding conditions-…."

"Bella…." In order to calm her, he grabbed her shoulders to stabilize her and stared straight into her eyes. "Calm down! I believe you. Just…. calm down."

She was embarrassed to realize she was shaking. "I begged my father to pull whatever strings needed to be pulled to get that adoption completed. You weren't there. You don't know how it was-… They kept asking how I felt and how I was doing. Always the same questions… over and over again. Like talking ever solved anything. I couldn't deal with them or their questions anymore. They weren't helping... No one listened to me. No one listened to what I needed, what I wanted… It was awful. I couldn't stand it… I couldn't…You weren't there-… "

"Shh Bella." Before she knew it, his hands were on her cheeks. He spoke pressing his forehead against hers. "I wasn't there, but you paint a clear enough picture. I believe you. If you say it was awful, I'll take your word for it."

"It was," she murmured, her voice small almost like a child's, her face hidden in his chest. "Awful."

"Listen, I did promise I would help you piece together what happened. If you still want to hear it, that is?"

"Yeah?" She wiped at her face and sniffled loudly, clearing her throat. "Yeah, I think I need to hear it. Please tell me."

"If you're sure." He let go of her and sat back on his knees.

"I'm sure."

"Right. So, here is what I know about the situation that arose after you fli-…"

He must have seen the unhappy look that clouded her features, as he was quick to amend. "Sorry, after you decided to stop speaking directly to the adoption agency."

She still frowned, but motioned for him to continue.

"Somewhere around the two months mark, Gracie's health took a turn for the worse. Did you know that? "

She nodded again. She did know that. "Respiratory issues, right?" The adoption process had been paused while the baby's life hung on a knife edge.

"Yes. She contracted a staph infection in her lungs, which caused Pneumonia and Scalded Skin Syndrome which made the top two layers of her skin to die and peel away and-…. "

A strangled noise escaped her. Because… what the actual f? Dead skin peeling away?!

"Sounds gross I know, but she pulled through it. She's fine now. I promise," Edward hurried to assure her. "Looking at her now… you wouldn't even know she was born prematurely. Or, well she's small, but… there is nothing wrong with her. I've got pictures on my phone, if you want to see what she looks like?"

"NO!" Bella snapped, then realized her answer had come out panicky. " I mean, not today, but maybe at some later point."

Lucky for her he seemed to accept that answer. "Okay. It's entirely up to you to decide what you think you can handle and how you want to go forward with this. So, that being said…can I continue? Are you okay, Bella?"

"I'm okay," she insisted. Her throat felt tight though and so did her chest. "Okay, but still confused…"

"Yeah, I bet you're wondering where I'm going with this, aren't you? Well, think about it… who was your legal guardian before you turned 18? Your dad, Charlie. Right. So who do you think was faced with making all the medical decisions on baby Gracie's' behalf when her health deteriorated?"

"Charlie, I suppose, but-…"

"Yes. Since you didn't want anything to do with the baby – or well, since neither one of us wanted to be involved –someone had to step up and take responsibility. This someone was your father. Obviously, my parents offered their advice and experience, making sure that baby got the best care possible. No funds were spared."

"Edward! This is beginning to sound like your parents paid my dad to buy themselves a ba-…"

"No! No, no! That's not what happened! Hear me out, okay?! Everything changed when you turned 18. It got more complicated. Because at 18 you were considered an adult and even if you were in the process of putting the baby up for adoption, it wasn't a done deal yet and so all decisions regarding Gracie's care had to go through you."

"Well yeah, but my dadstill handled all the practical things-…."

"He did. yes. But… do you recall discussing any of this with your father? Do you recall giving him the power of attorney to make decisions on your behalf?"

"Not really, no."

"This next part is guesswork, but what I think happened goes something like this….They forced you to see the baby against your will… You came back from that trip to Seattle and had your… well, your father got worried, so much so that he thought you wereon the brink of a complete mental breakdown."

"They weren't listening to me. No one truly cared for what I wanted. I had to get out of there and start over someplace else, someplace that wasn't Forks. I was suffocating. It was like I couldn't breathe anymore. I had to get out of there!"

"I know, Bella. I know. You were under a lot of pressure."

"This still doesn't explain what happened with the adoption though."

"Apparently, the adoption agency agreed with Charlie. Their assessment was that seeing as you were being uncooperative and refused to speak directly with them, they had no other choice, but to halt the process until your mental status could be reevaluated."

"But I signed the papers!"

"You signed something, yes. From what I understand, you signed a temporary transfer of parental rights, so that Charlie could become Gracie's legal guardian. She was still in frail condition and someone had to make day to day decisions about her treatment plan and such."

"I-.. No. That doesn't even make sense. Charlie never wanted me to keep that baby. I mean, he said all the right things about how I could do as I wished and he'd support whatever decision I made and so forth. But really, you could tell he didn't mean any part of it. He'd already done his part, butting up with me and my crazy mom for eighteen plus years."

"From what I've been told, Charliewas very clear about not wanting to be the one raising baby Gracie. You're right about the day came for her to be released from the hospital, my parents offered to take her in, which your father saw no reason not toagree to. I mean, my parents were already licensed foster parents, their financeswere stable and they had the medical knowledge to keep the child healthy and safe. I think your father wanted to make sure your decision was thought trough and solid and made by a conscious, rational mind. I think he thought this temporary solution was the least bad alternative, the lesser of the 'evils'."

"The lesser of the evils? How could he do this to me? Charlie knew what I wanted and he knew the reasons why I wanted it to be a closed adoption was so that baby could have a 'normal' childhood away from the malicious small town gossip and the sharp tongues…. There was so much media coverage of the trial… Even weeks after it ended there were still hordes of religious fanatics and over-the -top conservatives with signs and banners to protest the outcome of the trial… and… and-…"

"Breathe, Bella. We are alone here, you can cry if it makes you feel better. But please, you've got to calm down and take a few breaths, or you'll make yourself pass out."

She hadn't even realized she was crying. Her shoulders shook as she wept. Huge, aching sobs.

 _Fuck, life was so unfair. Was she ever going to get free from her past? Or was she doomed to forever roll the stone up the hill only to watch it roll back down again._

.

…

.


	76. Chapter 76

_AN: Hi! Hello! It's been so long since I posted, I almost feel I should re-introduce myself ;)_

 _Nah… I've just enjoyed 4 glorious summer weeks of no work. Usually, I spend July traveling and doing as little as possible. I did get some writing done though, so I have at least 3 chapters prewritten. YAY!_

 _I'm obviously no legal expert so there is stuff in here that I've probably messed up. I'm pretty sure no defense lawyer would allow their client to speak this much to the police as Edward does in these next two chapters. However, it's good for the plot that he starts talking a bit about his past._

 _._

*-=[ The past -Isabella Swan, 17 y.o ]=-*

*Edward POV*

…

The holding cell at the police station was musky smelling and drafty… and small, the whole space was no bigger than a medium-sized closet. It took a while for the eyes to adjust, as the only light came from a naked light bulb in a small white cage in the middle of the ceiling.

Not that there was much to look at. Nothing but four barren walls and a heavy steel door. No windows, no other furniture.

This was the room Edward woke up in.

Next feeling that registered was how cold and uncomfortable he was. He was on a mattress, he realized, but it was so thin and hard it was more like a stretcher than a proper bed. There was a blanket, but it felt (and sounded) more like a plastic shower curtain, than anything you'd want with you in your bed.

He'd come to, lying on his side, with his knees drawn up high. He was curled into an almost fetal position, only not really. He couldn't hug his knees close to his chest, because something seemed to be restricting his range of movement.

As he tried to shift around, he quickly discovered his wrists were restrained with some sort of leather cuffs, which in turn were fixed to a belt around his waist. Shackled like criminal… No, worse. He might as well have been put in a straight jacket.

He clenched his teeth against the rising frustration. He vividly remembered being arrested… and handcuffed… and taken to the police station. However, after that the details were a bit fuzzy...

He tried to think, tried to recall his last memories before passing out... or at least the reason for him passing out. His mind drew blank, except panic… the blinding, crippling kind.

However, seeing as he was rather familiar with that feeling, he quickly concluded he'd probably suffered through some sort of breakdown, or panic attack, or something of that nature. That theory was supported by the fact that he had both a massive headache and sick feeling to his stomach.

At this point, vague images of being wrestled down on the concrete floor were flashing through his mind. His wrists felt raw and bruised from fighting against his restraints. If he'd been in full panic mood, like he suspected was the case, then he supposed that would also explain why one of his knees seemed completely banged up. He'd probably hit the floor knees first, with no ability to brace himself and catch his fall.

Because, even if his memory was anything but clear, he was pretty sure he had not gone down quietly. There had been a physical altercation of some sort ending with multiple police officers holding him still, while medical personnel worked on him. Er… medical personnel?

He closed his eyes again as his stomach rolled unpleasantly. Dry mouth. Check. Queasy stomach. Check. A head that felt clamped in a vise grip and repeatedly pounded upon with a rubber mallet. Check. Overall, he felt like shit. So much so that he strongly suspected he might have been given something sedative-like to knock him out rather than help him through the anxiety.

And if that was the case…it pissed him off beyond words. Like, seriously. He wasn't a violent individual…nor was he a criminal… He was just someone who, like most with OCD and control issues, tended to react badly to things or situations he couldn't control. His anxiety issues were so well-documented in his records; you'd have to be an illiterate, or an incompetent idiot to miss it.

He'd need to run this by Mr. Whitlock, but seriously, he felt like he had grounds to sue the entire Forks Police Department for… well, maybe not police brutality… but emotional distress, at the very least.

Speaking of his lawyer….Wasn't Edward entitled to a phone call within an hour of arriving at the police station? Or was it within 24-hours? Ugh…he didn't even know how long he'd been in there.

Unsurprisingly, he had been searched and stripped of all his 'at risk belongings', namely his shoes, belt, phone, keys and watch. With no clock in the cell and no daylight, he had no way of knowing what time it was, or how long he'd been in there without anyone coming in to check on him.

 _If they even bothered to check on him at all, that is…._

Someone would come through that door eventually. Right?! They'd have to come in and like offer him water and food at some point. Dehydration was no joke.

 _How long does it take to 'rot in jail'?_

No reason for panic, he told himself. They had an obligation to keep him alive, didn't they?

He would just have to stay put… chill out…. and not waste his energy on overreacting. It was simply a matter of toughing it out. He could wait. He could wait as long as he had to… Only, he wasn't particularly good at dealing with waiting…

There was that crippling feeling of panic sneaking up on him again… and the paranoia. Hello old friend!

.

….

.

Yeah, so patience wasn't one of his strongsuits…

Naturally, one of the first things Edward did try was to get someone into the cell by shouting and making loud noises. He gave up on that idea pretty quickly though, when it led to absolutely nothing … except worsening his headache.

Then, in an effort to keep his mind from drifting to bad scenarios, he started counting silently to himself. He counted the bricks in the wall. He counted the cracks in the worn concrete floor. He counted the seconds passing by.

However, the counting only worked for so long… and soon his thoughts were racing again.

.

…

.

It seemed like an eternity later that he finally heard someone approaching the door, followed by the sounds of the locks being turned.

 _F-ing finally!_

He wasn't particularly claustrophobic, but this dirty, dingy place was definitely pushing it. And with everything else going on, it certainly felt like the walls had started to close in on him.

Anyway… now that the door finally opened; a tall, male figure in uniform with belt and gun holster could be seen standing there outlined in the bright light from the corridor.

It turned out to be Chief Swan's deputy, Waylon Forge. Edward didn't bother with talking to the guy. He knew from experience deputy Forge was dumb as a rock. Instead, he let himself be helped to his feet and escorted out of the cell. His legs weren't quite up to supporting him so he needed more help than he cared to admit.

He didn't have to walk far though. Just like Forks itself, the town's only police station was small both in size and resources. Then again, all it was ever used for was to handle petty crimes like shoplifting, speeding tickets and adolescent shenanigans.

Edward found himself shoved down onto a chair, in what he guessed must be an interrogation room. He was told to sit still and wait. Then, the door was locked and he was alone again.

How long would they make him wait this time? The stuffy air in the empty room held no answers.

Blankly, he observed his surroundings. There was nothing in the room, except four metal chairs and a table which was welded to the floor. Oh and one of those classic two-way mirrors. Definitely an interrogation room then. Who knew Forks P.D. even had one?

Again, there were no windows and no clock on the wall. This room was more brightly lit than the cell though. Lots of light bouncing off the walls and ceiling. The harsh light didn't do the "beige-on-beige-on-beige" decor any favors though; it only served to highlight how dingy and unclean the whole place was.

Edward shuddered at that thought and sat up straighter in his chair.

.

..

.

When the door finally opened again, Edward was pleasantly surprised to find that the first (and only) person through the door was none other than his lawyer, Peter Whitlock.

"Edward. Hi. Sorry I couldn't get to you sooner!" The man greeted him, but didn't offer a handshake or a hug like he usually did. Instead, he set his briefcase down on the table and proceeded to open it.

"Am I about to be interrogated?" Edward asked, shaking his fringe out of his eyes. "I mean, that's why you're allowed in here to see me, right?

"Yes. That's correct. Don't worry. We've prepped for this. Just remember to keep your calm and everything will be alright. How are you holding up? We have a couple of minutes alone before the others join us."

"I'm alright, I guess… " Edward started, but then stopped and shook his head. "How long have I been here? I have no clue what time is it, or even what day? There are no clocks anywhere, did you know that?... Of course you know that." He stopped his rant when a firm hand fell on his arm.

"It's Sunday and three o'clock in the afternoon... so you've been here for about-…"

"A full 24 hours," Edward finished the sentence for him. "Thanks." He added, running his tongue over his parched lips. "Can I have some water? Is that okay?"

"Yes, of course! That can be arranged," Whitlock said turning towards the faux mirror, making a 'pouring-water-into-a-cup' gesture. "Anything else you need? How's the head? Your father mentioned you might want something for your headaches."

Eh…right. He'd almost forgotten about his headache as it was starting to fade, but no doubt it would be back with a vengeance at one point or another. This convo, however, did remind Edward of the source of that headache. This in turn, reminded him about his busted knee and sore wrists, which reminded him of-… "They sedated me, didn't they? They held me down … against my will. They put a syringe in my upper arm and-…"

"Edward…"

"I'm no expert, but whatever was in that syringe; it wasn't a flu shot."

"First of all, they didn't do anything without consulting your parents first. They didn't have to do that, but they did it as a sign of respect towards your father. Secondly, you were given something that was meant to calm you down, nothing else. It wasn't actually meant to knock you out, but from what I've heard you haven't been eating or sleeping nearly as much as you should have lately, so it hit you harder than it normally would. It was probably for the best that you got some sleep though. You probably needed it."

"Gee thanks! And while I slept the sleep of the drugged, they found it necessarily to put me in 'these'…." Edward trailed off, pulling on his hands, still fixed to the belt around his waist, to show what, exactly, he was talking about. "Was that really necessary?"

"Well, measures had to be taken to prevent you from hurting yourself." Whitlock answered calmly. "Edward, you were pulling on your handcuffs until your wrist were bleeding. And even after you were un-cuffed, you kept picking on the dressings of your wounds."

"With all due respect, that's a load of crap! I don't need-…"

He was interrupted by the sounds of someone knocking on the door.

The tiny bit of hope that had sprung to life with his lawyer's arrival just as quickly withered and died. The interrogation was about to begin and this wasn't going to be fun, not in the slightest.

Mr. Whitlock hurried to give him some last minute advice. "Remember, don't give them anything for free! We don't do their work for them. We don't provide information or give them answers they haven't asked for. Alright."

"Yeah, yeah..." Edward grumbled, as the lock turned and the door opened.

Three seconds later Officer Brady Fuller and a middle-aged woman, Edward had never seen before were escorted into the room.

"Mr. Cullen. My name is Lee Stephens, I'm the assigned Assistant District Attorney and I work for D.A. who is basically the chief prosecutor in this case. I believe you're familiar with Officer Brady Fuller, already. He's the one effectuating your arrest."

"Mr. Cullen, Edward," Officer Fuller, nodded courtly, making his way to one of the vacant chairs.

He had a water pitcher and a plastic cup with him, which he set down on the table in front of Edward.

"Now, I could make you drink this through a straw, but I think we can trust you to behave, so I'm going to offer something a little more, er… civilized than that." He motioned for Edward to stand up and turn around so that he could unlock the clasp that held that awful leather-belt contraption in place.

 _Yay! Uncuffed at last_!

"Thank you, officer," Edward said, somewhat relieved.

His victorious internal cheer was cut short, however, as Officer Fuller went on produced a pair of regular handcuffs from a back pocket, explaining that Edward would still need to have one hand cuffed to the table.

 _What did they think he was going to do? Throw a fit? Use his chair as a weapon? Steal a pen and stab someone?_

It was ridiculous, but he didn't rebel against it, instead he simply followed along with everything they told him to do. The reward was in that pitcher on the table. The lukewarm water tasted heavenly and Edward had to force himself to sip it slowly, rather than chug it.

Assistant D.A. Stephens cleared her throat and began to speak. "Before we start this interrogation, I'd like to say this - the reason why I'm here is because it falls upon the Prosecutor's Office to ensure that crimes which occur within our jurisdiction are dealt with fairly, diligently, and competently, which is why the D.A. wanted someone from his office present when the police conducts this interrogation," Stephens said, as a way to explain her role. She continued her explanation with, "When the police make an arrest, it's always the Prosecutor who decides what charges, if any, to file or dismiss."

"So the charges can be dropped?" Edward asked even though he already knew it was a possibility.

"Charges can be dropped, changed or supplemented over time, depending on if any new evidence is obtained that supports or refutes the case against you," his lawyer clarified.

"Correct." Stephens nodded. "In fact, the original charges often change over time as the case develops. Do you have more questions, before we get started?"

Only a thousand, Edward thought, but merely shook his head.

Officer Fuller cleared his throat. "We're going to record this. It's for your own protection as well as for the record," he said, placing an old-fashioned-looking audio recorder on the table. "I'll start off by stating the case number, which is CR 2015 0562. This is the first formal post-arrest interrogation and present in the room are…" he paused and pointed at each person in turn and got everyone to say their names aloud.

Then, he checked the watch on his wrist before he rattled off date and time down to the second. And after that he went on listing the arrest information, followed by the Miranda warning again. It all came effortlessly, as though it was part of a well-rehearsed script.

"So, Mr. Cullen, do you know why you're here?" Stephens started the questioning. Her voice was calm and nonthreatening.

"Yes, ma'am. Or well, I assume I'm here because I've been arrested and taken into custody for questioning?" Edward answered, giving nothing away.

"Yes. That is one way of putting it. And please, you don't have to ma'am me. You can call me A.D.A Stephens, or even just Stephens, that's fine too. I know the title is a mouthful," the woman said with an encouraging smile. "In short, you're here because the Forks Police Department alongside with the Seattle P.D. are fronting a joint investigation against you, Mr. Cullen," she went on explaining. "Officer Fuller here, is about to interrogate you in connection to a murder that occurred close to your home earlier this month."

"Sorry, but I must correct you," Whitlock cut in, really sounding and looking like the confident, authoritative lawyer he was. "You've booked him for attempted murder, ATTEMPTED. I find the charges against my client weak, baseless and unfounded. My client is absolutely innocent, which this interrogation will show. We will be filing a motion to dismiss at the arraignment."

"We'll see about that. A single charge is weak, but in this case they stack up," Officer Fuller commented, nonchalantly.

"For the record, your lawyer is right, Mr. Cullen," Stephens cut in. "It's attempted murder. I stand corrected."

"Let's start with the actual questions shall we?" Officer Fuller suggested, impatiently tapping a pen on his notepad. "Edward - may I call you Edward still?"

"It's still my name… so, yeah. Edward, or just Cullen, whichever is fine by me."

"Okay. Edward, can you tell us how you know Miss Isabella Swan."

"Bella." Edward corrected him automatically.. "I know her as Bella Swan. Everyone calls her Bella."

"Of course. Bella Swan." Fuller agreed, glancing up. "How long have you known her?"

"Since she started Forks high.. Uhm, her junior year."

"For clarification, you just started your senior year about a month back - both you and Miss Swan, yes?"

"Yes."

"So you've known her roughly a year?" Officer Fuller continued.

"Yes. But… I mean, didn't KNOW her, know her until she started coming round our house."

"And that was after she became friends with your twin sister Alice."

Edward nodded in response to that.

"Please answer the questions verbally," Stephens instructed.

"Yes, they were in the same biology class and were put together as lab partners."

"So you were introduced to her through your sister?"

"Through my brother, technically. We ran into her on her first day at school. My brother struck up a conversation and dragged me into it. That's usually how I meet new people. My siblings are much more outgoing than me."

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Whitlock frowning at him. Right. Don't answer questions that haven't been asked. Don't give them anything they don't already know.

"Did you know who she was from the start?"

Edward leaned a bit forward on his seat before he answered. "Chief Swan's daughter, you mean? Yes, the whole school knew that. He used to drive her there in his police cruiser that whole fist school year."

"And how long was it before she started coming around your house?"

"I don't remember."

"A week? Three weeks? A month?"

"No, it was more than that… two months, maybe."

So far the questions had been pretty lame and rather repetitive. Edward steeled himself for the next ones though. He knew what would come next - the sex questions. When did it turn sexual and why was it just sex and not a real relationship?

 _Because we're teenagers, making big life decisions based on hormones and what feels good in the moment. Just get over it already!_

"So Edward, the two of you met when school started, you formed a friendship after about two months and then, sometime around New Years you two became sexually involved."

 _See,_ _that's how predictable it all really was…_

"But she was not your girlfriend. That's what you've said in an earlier statement. You still stand behind that? "

Edward nodded. Then, added, "Yes."

"Help me out with the continuation of the timeline here; how long would you say…."

Edward fully expected that sentence to end with '...your sexual relationship lasted?'

But instead he got, "how long would you say…. it took before you started dealing drugs to Miss Swan?"

Shit! Red alert! Or…maybe not red alert, because he'd been warned this question might come up, but still… he'd hoped to avoid it. Edward threw his lawyer a questioning look for guidance.

"Go ahead! Answer it truthfully." Whitlock encouraged him, confident that he knew the answer. Well, he DID know the answer. They had talked about it.

"Okay," Edward nodded, taking a breath to refocus. "I don't-… I mean, I never did anything of the sort."

"You don't what? Don't do drugs? Don't make money from selling to your classmates? Never offered drugs in exchange for sexual favors?"

Edward straightened in his chair and took a swig of his water, before reformulating his answer. "I've never offered drugs to Bella Swan in exchange for money, or sexual favors, or anything of the sort."

"Edward, we've got someone - a parent to a fellow student at your school - who is willing to testify in court that you've been providing illegal substances to a minor. Not only that, but according to the parent, you were using your access to drugs as a trade-off for sex."

"What? Who are you even talking about?"

 _Now this was not good!_

"Edward, we have more than just this one parent. We also have two young girls from Forks High, coming forward with information that they've received special 'gifts' after having engaged in sexual activities with you. Marijuana, Adderall, and opiates have been mentioned. What do you say to those accusations?"

"What do I say? I say I'd like to know who's going around spreading this crap," Edward shook his head, because what the fuck was he supposed to answer to that?!

"In order to protect the investigation, we won't be revealing any names at this point. "

Riiight… Edward had his suspicions anyway. If Adderall had been mentioned, then it must be Leah, or rather Leah's mom that had been blabbing to the police. As for the other two girls… If he were to guess, he'd say maybe Lauren and Jessica … Those two were certainly stupid enough to go around saying stuff like that just for shits and giggles. Or perhaps Tanya… though he didn't think she would volunteer information that would make her look completely whore-ish.

"We just wanted you to have an opportunity to give us your take on these accusations"

"If we don't know who's said what, then my client can't really be expected to comment." Whitlock pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're going to need to be more specific with your questions than that."

Fuller didn't seem fazed at all and just shrugged. "Alright. We'll come back to these allegations in a few minutes. Let's leave out the girls for now and talk about your client's relationship with drugs and alcohol here for a bit."

He paused, as if waiting for a response, then continued when there was none. "Edward, you once stole prescription drugs out of a handbag belonging to one of your mother's patients. Is that correct?"

"Uhm-…" Edward started, then swallowed.

This was something he'd never expected to resurface... like ever.

 _What else did they know — or rather what _did they think they knew_?_

.

 _To be continued..._

 _AN: I'll post the rest of this interrogation on sunday._


	77. Chapter 77

*-=[ The past -Isabella Swan, 17 y.o ]=-*

*Edward POV*

…

.

 _Previously: "Edward, you once stole prescription drugs out of a handbag belonging to one of your mother's patients. Is that correct?"_

 _"Uhm-…" Edward started, then swallowed._

 _This was something he'd never expected to resurface... like ever._

 _What else did they know — or rather what did they think they knew?_

 _…_

Edward glanced over at his lawyer, who appeared to be giving him a slight nod. Whitlock wanted him to know it was okay to go ahead and give his version of the incident in question. This was another one they had rehearsed beforehand.

"Yes, I did do that. It was just that once though. And also, it was ages ago. I was fourteen at the time and I made a mistake."

"I'd like to point out that Edward's mother, Dr. Esme Cullen, followed protocol and reported the incident as a violation to the APA Ethics Committee," Whitlock cut in.

"Well, good on her. Good on Dr. Cullen. I don't see a police report on the theaft though. And further more… you really expect us to believe it was just that once, Edward?" Officer Fuller said, raising an eyebrow. "Don't you mean, you only got caught that one time?"

"I don't care what you believe!" Edward all but snapped before thinking better of it. "I mean, I'm telling the truth. I don't know how I'm supposed to prove it, but it's the truth," he amended, all the while scolding himself for speaking before thinking.

 _No matter what they ask, don't give attitude back: No clap-backs, no snorting, no rolling your eyes, and most importantly, no sarcasm._

"I'd be interedted to hear some context here. Mr. Cullen, Edward, these prescription drugs you stole, what were they?" Stephens asked. "Also, what was your intent? Did you sell or share them with anyone else?"

"Uhm… some type of anti-convulsant anti-epileptic medication. Lamotrigine, if I remember correctly. There wasn't much thought or plan behind it, or I would have done some research beforehand. If I had taken the time to do that, I would have known they weren't for me. It was a spur of the moment thing. I was looking for my mom's wallet cuz I needed money to pay the pizza delivery guy. I didn't just find mom's bag though, I found this other handbag as well. The opportunity presented itself and I couldn't resist. I decided to try a few pills then and there, thinking I was in for a wicked trip. You hear stories all the time about kids getting high from mixing alcohol with stuff like cold medicine or opioid painkillers. I was fourteen and stupid. Alright."

"You tried a few pills? How many are a few?"

"Two, or three, maybe… I washed them down with some Vodka I'd stolen from my dad's collection of alcohol. I was a scrawny kid, a lightweight, so instead of getting pleasantly high, I got drowsy and nauseated real quickly. I learned my lesson the hard way."

"The hard way?"

"Or the painful way... Within fifteen minutes, or so, I started feeling numb, like at first I couldn't feel my face and then my hands and… well, this had me panicking. I'm sort of prone to panic attacks. Anyway, I accidentally crashed through a glass door. I cut myself on multiple places and had to get 48 stitches because of it. Thing is, I'm a bit of a control freak… I mean, I had yet to learn this about myself at fourteen, but as it turns out, I really REALLY don't like it when I lose control over situations... that's where the panic stems from. But hey, isn't that part of growing up – finding out these sort of things about yourself? That's how you grow as a person. You make mistakes and learn from them."

Whitlock was frowning at him, so he'd probably over-shared a bit.

"Right, so you have this 'fear of losing control', yet it doesn't stop you from consuming copious amount of alcohol with little to no regard of the consequences. How does that work, Edward?" Fuller challenged. "You have previously stated you were quite intoxicated the night of your house party. So much so, that you had to be escorted to your bedroom, helped out of your clothes and tucked into bed by two of your friends. Female friends, I might add, who we can assume were being extra helpful, in hopes of being rewarded with special-…"

"Stick to the facts," Whitlock objected. "Ask the questions you came here to ask and keep your speculations to yourself."

"Alright. How much do you drink, Edward? Give us a rough estimate. Do you drink every weekend? Several times a week?Every other day?"

"No. Nothing like that. I am a bit of a homebody and usually don't party all that much. I'll drink a beer or two with my friends sometimes. If it's just alcohol, it's no problem. It's when mixing it with other stuff that it gets problematic."

"Other stuff? Care to elaborate?"

"Well, I've been on Xanax for anxiety on and off since I was ten. I stopped taking them completely at fifteen. I've tried Clomipramine in recent years as it interacts better with my other meds and with alcohol. I'm sure you can read about all of this is in my medical records."

"Yes, it's there." Fuller nodded. "You know what else is in your medical records? Not one, but two prior drug screenings. I say prior, because we did one just now as you were brought into custody. Still waiting on the result on that one."

"Let it be noted, that the rapid test my client took was negative for both drugs and alcohol. You guys still opted to send both urine, blood and hair samples to the lab for further toxicology tests."

"Yes. Nothing wrong with being thorough. But Edward, please tell us about the other two times you've been tested for drugs."

"I… I did a roadside drug test once. Is that's what you mean?"

"Yes."

"There was a Breathalyzer test, which I passed, but then there was a second test and…. well, they detected presence of THC in my saliva."

"When was this?" Stephens asked.

"Four years ago, I think. The whole thing was completely uncalled for. I wasn't even driving. I did nothing wrong. That second test… if I'd known I could have refused, I would have. Chief Swan wouldn't let me-…"

"What my client is trying to say is that he was a minor and that he didn't know his rights. The police had no probably cause to believe he was under the influence and his parents weren't there to give consent to these tests. The whole thing was unethical, not to mention possibly illegal," Whitlock cut in."We're talking about a kid on a mountain bike here, who, upon questioning, admitted to having smoked pot a few days prior. I always advise my clients to not say anything to law enforcement and decline field sobriety tests. Always."

"You were on a bike? Why were you stopped?"

"I wasn't stopped. I was first to arrive at the scene of a car accident. The driver - Billy Black, a notorious boozer-wrapped his car around a tree. I had nothing to do with it, but got blamed for having crossed the road, right in front of Black, which was a complete lie," Edward explained calmly, though he couldn't stop his right knee from bouncing up and down in agitation beneath the table.

"I can confirm this," Whitlock nodded. " It seems as though the driver was foolishly trying to get away from having his license suspended. The police report state that his blood-alcohol concentration was above 0.08 percent. This guy should have worried more about his dislocated neck, than his driver's license. Due to complications from the crash he eventually ended up paralyzed from the waist down."

"Yeah, like I said, I really had nothing to do with it. There were several eyewitnesses that cleared me." Edward said with a sigh.

"And the second drug screening, the one your parents initiated?"

"You should ask my dad about that one."

"Yes, I'm definitely planning on speaking with your parents about it. Right now I'm asking you though, Edward."

"What do you want to know?"

"Just talk us through it, - How, why, and when - in your own words, please."

"Two and a half years ago, my father, who's a surgeon at the hospital here in town, decided to put me through a complete drug screening on a whim-…"

"On a whim, really Edward?" Officer Fuller interrupted. "I find that hard to believe."

"We were arguing. He'd found something; a vial of powder in the garage. He believed it was crystal meth and since I live above the garage, he jumped to conclusions and wrongly assumed it was mine. Hence, the drug screening."

"It wasn't yours?"

"No, later on, one of my sister's so-called-friends admitted to having 'misplaced' it in our garage."

"And the result of the test?" Officer Fuller pressed.

"Nothing, but slight traces of THC."

"Cannabis?"

"Yeah, very low concentration though. I was mostly clean. I'm not an addict, when I use, I only do it for the calming-…"

Whitlock held up a hand to stop him. "It's worth pointing out that my client held a medical marijuana temporary minor patient license for a period of six month. He was part of a medical research study."

"I'm aware," Officer Fuller responded. "He no longer holds that license though, so it has no bearing on this case," he added, speaking directly to Stephens.

"No, bearing on the second test, but the first one falls within that time period."

"Okay, duly noted."

"I'd also like to add that recent studies confirm that cannabinoids are effective against anxiety and depression. There has been a trend of increasing numbers of children with anxiety-related disorders. Safe to say that because of this we are also seeing an increasing number of self-medicating teens out there. I don't want to get all political here, but we're clearly letting our youth down."

"Alright, thank you for your insight. Moving on-…"

"Wait!" Edward raised his free hand. "Officer, I have a question. If I'm allowed?"

"Depends on the question. I will not be able to give you any specifics about the investigation. But please, go ahead and ask any questions you have..."

"You work with Drug Enforcement in Seattle. Right. Why the heck would your department have any interest in an investigation based around a bunch of pot smoking teenagers in this, by comparison, flyspeck of a town?"

"That's… a good question," Officer Fuller closed his notepad and leaned back in his chair. "I can only answer this hypothetically…as I'm sure you can undersand..."

Edward simply nodded, not knowing what to expect.

"Let's say, hypothetically, that we have been working for months with busting a drug ring that we believe may have been mixing xylazine into heroin and fentanyl to boost profits. Let's say we already had a few selected people under surveillance for drug distribution, and suddenly, without any explanation, there was a new person thrown into the mix. A person with strong ties to Forks. A person that was seen near the crime scene in the woods on the very night Miss Swan went into labor."

"What does this have to do with me though? Because, I know it's not me you're talking about... I wasn't in teh woods that night and also, I would never get involved in a drug ring,' he added after thinking about it for another second.

Fuller didn't answer the question, instead he went on saying, "The plastic bag in which the surviving baby, your baby, was found in, was sealed off with duct tape. Now duct tape can be used for many things. For example, it's believed to fool drug sniffer dogs which is why many drug parcels are wrapped in layers of duct tape… Let's say, hypothetically, that we couldn't secure more than a few fragments of fingerprints from the bag and the tape. Interestingly enough though, the sticky side of the tape contained traces of both xylazine and heroin. Everything matched - the quality, the ratio… everything. Now, as you can imagine, such a discovery is of great interest to us. Hypothetically, speaking of course."

"Seriously, I don't touch heroin or coke or shit like that..."

"If you're telling the truth, the toxicology report will confirm this."

"It will," Edward said confidently. "There is a difference between drugs and 'drugs'."

"If you say so." Officer Fuller simply said, leaning back in his seat, locking his hands behind his head. "On one hand, it looks like this person might be someone who, in the grand scheme of things, is minor player that has fallen into the wrong circles, at a very unfortunate time, perhaps even by pure coincidence. On the other hand, I find that when things stack up, you're usually on to something-… "

"You're a cop, you don't believe in coincidences." Edward stated, somewhat boldly.

"I don't. That is correct. What I do believe, however, is that his person, this minor player, has become a pawn in someone else's drug scheme. And it appears to be a high-stakes game, a cat-and-mouse chase, in which the person with the upper hand could change in an instant."

Drug scheme, high-stakes game, cat-and-mouse chase….This had Edward thinking of Leah's warning about there being some twisted revenge arc at play.

"How big of a scheme are we talking about? Is this a local affair, like a Froks-Seattle thing, or something bigger?" he braved to ask.

"You tell me… I'd be interested to hear what you know about this, Edward."

"Yeah, you would, wouldn't you. I don't kn-…" He started saying, but was silenced by his lawyer.

"I'd like to advice my client not to say anything else, on this particular subject, at this point in time," he cut in, his voice laced with warning.

"Uhm… okay. I was about to say I really don't know anything about any of this."

Officer Fuller didn't look like he believed that. He was scribbling something in his notes before I spoke again. "Very well, I suggest we move on. Edward, can you account for your whereabouts on the afternoon on the day of the party? Start from the time you left the house with your brother Emmett. You've said earlier that you two took his Jeep into town to get some snack items for the party and grab a quick bite to eat. What time did you leave the house and when did you get back?"

"I don't remember, down to the very minute. We left around two o'clock… maybe. And we were back after five… If I had to guess, I'd say a quarter past."

"So you were gone for quite a long time then. Where did you go? What stops did you make?"

"We went to Jim's Food Mart with a shopping list that was two notebook pages long, courtesy of my sister. I don't have it all memorized, obviously, but we bought 12 bags of chips and a ton of dipping sauce, enough soda to fill a Jacuzzi. Also, chocolate bars, crackers, marshmallows… It took hours to find everything and get through the check-out line. Then we stopped at Smiley's drive-in and got some burgers on our way home."

"That's not the whole truth now is it? I know you made one more stop, after shopping for groceries, but before stopping for food. Let me put it like this; was it your brother that supplied the keg for the party? Wasn't that why you took his jeep for your shopping excursion that afternoon? Larger trunk; more space for your purchases...?"

"Uhm… Can I choose not to answer that question?" Edward said turning to Whitlock.

The answer, however, came from Officer Fuller, "That's alright. We already know who it was bought from, where you picked it up and who paid for it. What I want to know is, if this was the reason why you took your brother's car and not yours?"

"I don't care what you think you know, I still don't want to say anything on this subject. Next question…"

"Just so we're clear here, your brother is lucky he is still as young as he is. If he'd been over the age of 21 we could have charged him for furnishing liquor to minors. And while that not a felony in this state, it's still taken very seriously by the court system."

"Please," Whitlock scoffed. "You only have second hand information at best, seeing as you didn't actually bust the party, or encounter any intoxicated minors that night."

"We know alcohol was served and we know there were minors in the presence."

"From photos on social media? Even if he'd been over 21, any decent lawyer would try, and probably succeed, to negotiate for a dismissal," Whitlock said shaking his head. "Drop the scare tactics and get on with your questions!"

"Right. So Edward, your brother was the one driving the jeep, correct? Where did he park it upon returning to your house?"

"Oh… on the driveway, as close to the house as possible. We had tons of bags to carry inside."

"And after you'd unloaded everything? Did he leave the car on the driveway?"

"I don't know. I don't remember. He probably parked it in the garage, since dad's spot in there was empty. Or perhaps he let his girlfriend have that spot. She came in her Red BMW M3 convertible."

"So both people and cars were going in and out of the garage that afternoon? This is the same garage your Volvo was parked in, right?"

 _Again, there was that strange fixation with his car…_

"Yeah, I don't see where you're going with this…?"

"Are you close with your brother?"

"Emmett is my best friend. He hasn't always been - but we're very close now. "

"And his girlfriend – Rosalie Hale?"

"We're not each other's biggest fan, but we try to get along for Emmett's sake."

"I'd like it noted for the reckord, that Rosalie Hale is the defense lawyer's step-daughter."

"Noted." Stephens nodded. "Please continue."

"Your brother is adopted."

It was a statement, not a question, but Edward felt compelled to answer anyway. "He is, yes, but he is still my brother through and through."

"From what I understand his mother died when he was quite young. He lived with his father until he was... uhm nine. Then, he spent little over a year with some relatives and then, when that didn't workout, about six months in foster care, before he was legally adopted by your parents."

Edward shrugged, trying to act as nonchalant as possible. However, on the inside, he was growing tenser by the second. He wasn't sure where this was going. Why weren't they asking about Bella and her pregnancy? And the birth of those babies? Or… the objects the police had found in the woods?

"Let me see if I've understood this correctly. Your parents divorced when you and your sister were six years old, then they found their way back to one another two years later. They eventually got remarried and that's when they adopted the then thirteen year old Emmett Dale McCarthy."

"Yes."

"Emmett was no stranger to your family though. During the time your parents were divorced your mother-…"

"Dated Emmett's father, briefly." Ugh… just thinking about it had him shuddering…

"Briefly? They were engaged to be married when Emmett McCarthy Senior tragically passed away. From what I've heard, cause of death was an accident caused by acute and unexpected illness. I know you were quite young at the time, but can you tell us what happened?"

"A stressful event triggered an aortic rupture that led to a massive hemothorax and death," Edward answered through clenched teeth.

"Yes, and this stressful event started when a faulty handbrake sent a car rolling backwards down a sloping driveway, threatening to run over a child… your sister Alice, I believe."

"It wasn't faulty. The transmission just wasn't in park," Edward corrected, throwing a glance over at Whitlock. "Alice saw it coming and had just enough time to move away. McCarthy wasn't as lucky."

The fact that Senior had been far more worried about his precious car, than Alice's wellbeing was information Edward kept to himself. The quicker they could move on to another topic, the better.

"From what I understand, the wall of his aorta tore while he was trying to stop the rolling vehicle and because of this he ended up pinned underneath the car. He died from internal bleeding. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"And you were there, witnessing this as it happened?"

"Yes, both Alice and I were out there on the driveway when the car started rolling. Alice was standing a lot closer though."

"And you didn't get any help? There was no one else around? No neighbor? No by passer?"

"No. The house we were at, was on the outskirts of town, not that many people around."

"Who called 911?"

"We didn't call 911, we called dad."

"From inside your mother's house, on the landline?"

"Yes."

"And this was around twenty minutes after the accident happened? According to the medical examiner, the man had laid dead for at least half an hour before the ambulance got there."

"I don't know how much time elapsed."

"Because, you were in shock over what you'd just witnessed?"

"I guess. Alice was definitely in shock, shaking and crying and I… well, the phone was indoors, so I had to coax her to come with me so we could try and reach dad."

"You didn't think to use the cell phone in the car? Emergency calls to 9-1-1 can be made on any cellphone without unlocking the device. "

"Nope. Didn't remember there even was one in the car. I was seven, so I probably wouldn't have known how to do that. I don't think. "

"It must have been traumatic. For everyone involved."

"Sure… It affected my mom the most, though. She's the one that dated the guy."

"And your now brother, Emmett, I imagine... It must have been hard on him as well?"

"Er, course. He lost his dad, that's something that changed his whole life."

"What about you Edward? Things must have changed for you as well. Did you get any help to process this trauma?"

"It's not something I'm lying awake in bed at night over," Edward shrugged. "I mean, it's been ten years now..."

"That's not what I asked."

"No, I know what you asked. My mom is a fu-… sorry, freaking Psychiatrist, of course she insisted on having us talk to a professional about it."

"Was this the same professional that did the psychological evaluation that lead to your first diagnosis? I know you were diagnosed with both OCD and anxiety disorder shortly thereafter."

"No. The accident and my OCD diagnosis were two separate events that had nothing to do with one another."

His hands were getting clammy and his heart was racing.

"According to you medical records, anger outbursts and temper flare ups, both at home and at school, were two of the symptoms your parents expressed concerns about."

Edward discreetly looked over at Whitlock, silently willing the lawyer to put a stop to this line of questioning.

"My client is not a violent person, if that's where you're going with this. He can get a bit anxious, which in situations he feels he can't fully control tend to manifests itself through a short temper. Yes. However, he's stayed out of legal trouble, no prior arrests. He has a clean record, save for a few minor traffic citations. He's a well adjusted 18-year old, headed for college in a year, with excellent grades. I might add."

"I was talking about the fact that there in many cases seem to be a clear link between OCD and anger issues." Fuller shot back. Then, turning back to Edward, he asked, "You were an angry child. Where did all that anger come from? Did it start with your parents' divorce? Your family was splitting up, it was a situation you had little control over. Were you upset with your mother for moving on with someone new? Disappointed with your father for letting her go?"

"I don't want to talk about this. Do I have to talk about this?"

"No, definitely not. I wish to stress that I strongly object to my client being psychoanalyzed instead of interrogated. This isn't amateur psychology hour. "

"Very well. I apologize," Officer Fuller said quickly. "You seem to have racked up a few disciplinary incidents in school throughout the years – Some of which involve suspicion of marijuana use. Care to comment?"

"I don't smoke pot on school grounds. I never pick fights. I never start anything. I am not a stoner and I'm not a mean-spirited person."

"Would you say you are easily provoked though?" Officer Fuller pushed.

Edward opened his mouth to speak, but then he caught sight of his lawyer who gave a quick shake of his head.

"Like I said before, my client has maintained excellent grades throughout it all. The records will show he has really made an effort to stay out of trouble this past year. He's really is keen on finishing high school and starting college."

"Yes, several of the teachers we've spoken to did mention that there's been a noticeable improvement in his overall behavior. That's not what I asked though."

"This whole line of questions is starting to get ridiculous," Whitlock objected. "I was expecting there to be a little more focus on my client's relationship with the Swan's and the alleged crime and a little less… I don't even know what to call this… character assassination? In fact, I'd like to request a break. I need to confer with Edward about this for a moment. This line of questioning isn't something we've had a chance to prepare for."

Fuller looked less than thrilled, but didn't dismiss it. "Very well Mr. Whitlock. There are many more of questions to come still and I can assure you I do have plans to have the subject of your client's involvement with Miss Swan, and her pregnancy, vetted thoroughly before this is over."

"I'd still like that break, if that's doable?"

"Will 10 minutes be sufficient?"

"That should be more than enough time. Thank you!"  
.

…

.

"Okay, time for a pep talk." Mr. Whitlock said, the minute the door closed and they were alone in the interrogation room. "You're doing good, Edward. I just wanted to give you a chance to regroup and breathe."

"This guy loves trying to get me to snap."

"It may seem that way, yes. He's definitely trying to 'crack' you. That's his job, though. You just have to remember to keep your cool, alright. Don't let him get to you, don't let him get you angry."

"I'm trying. This is going to be dragging out for hours, isn't it? I mean, we haven't even gotten to the tough parts yet, have we? They've barely asked two questions about Swan yet and-…"

"And that is actually quite telling." Peter put both of his hands down on the table as he spoke. "They have NOTHING on you - no solid proof of anything, or else they wouldn't use this much time and focus on rounding up character flaws like anger issues and alcohol slash drug abuse."

"They'll use this to say I have a motive, one that is hard to argue against. I mean, they can certainly prove I was hella upset with Swan. They have her cell phone… the text messages I left her-… "

"Won't paint you in a very positive light, I agree, but as evidence they are circumstantial at best. Don't worry."

"I'm a worrier. Worry is what I do. I'm a control freak, remember?! You know that that knife they've got, the one they found in the woods…" Edward lowered his voice to just above a whisper, before he continued. "I think it could be mine. I don't know how it got there. I wasn't aware it had gone missing. I don't even know when I saw it last. It was in the trunk of my car a few months ago, but …"

"Edward the police went back to your home with an extended search warrant a few hours ago. They've seized your car and its contents."

"So, they really REALLY do think my car was out of the garage that night?"

"Or they think someone went into the garage and into the trunk of your car to fetch the knife…. "

"Oh… There was no one in the garage. I don't know how to prove it, but-... Wait! There's actually a security camera right outside the garage doors. I can't believe I didn't think of that sooner!"

"Relax! We've got that covered. Your father has handed over a week and a half worth of surveillance footage to the police. It will prove your car was in the garage the whole night and if there was a threspasser... I'm sure that will show up too."

"Yeah... I'm sure the police will do their best to find something else to hold against me."

"They can try. Listen, I don't' think we need to worry too much about the knife. It appears as though it had been wiped clean of any prints. We can argue that it can't be tied to you directly."

Whitlock really didn't look too concerned.

"Edward, I really do feel confident that the charges against you will be reduced, maybe even dismissed entirely."

"What about my-… you know, the thing I'm missing that B borrowed?" He meant his clothes, but didn't want to say it aloud.

"To my knowledge, nothing else has been found. Hey have that knife, Isabella's phone and that piece of that drawstring. And even if they were to be able to pull your DNA from the drawstring or the knife, it doesn't prove anything. We can argue that it's circumstantial. And circumstantial wont-..."

"… hold up under scrutiny in court. I know. But if they have enough circumstantial stuff it 'stacks up'," he cut in, borrowing Officer Fuller's expression from earlier.

"Focus on the here and the now and try not to worry too much about a trial that may not even happen."

"Yeah, but if this goes to trial they'll try and portray me as unstable, angry and volatile person with a substance abuse problem. That whole thing with Emmett's dad will be used against me. It will be like - 'Hey, if provoked, this guy is capable of inflicting deadly harm. He's done it before."

"It was ruled an accident and you were a child." Now, it was Whitlock's turn to whisper. "Also, the only other person that even knows exactly what happened, and who did what to whom, is your sister and she's very protective of you."

"Yeah, okay..."

"Let's take it one step at the time. Right now, we have to stick this out and let them ask their questions. Tomorrow morning, you'll face a judge for an arraignment, which is basically when a person accused of a crime is told what the charges are and asked to plead guilty or not guilty. "

"Is that when the bail amount is set?"

"Yes."

"What about Bella?"

"What about her?"

"Will I see her tomorrow? I assume she been arrested too? Wait is she here in this building, right this very moment?"

"No, she's not here. She was arrested though, that is correct. However, we won't be running into her at the courthouse tomorrow. She's already out on bail as her arraignment was this morning. Yours should have been directly after hers, but it was postponed, because of your… well, we called it an 'ongoing medical health issue'."

"Oh."He was equal parts disappointed and relieved. He wasn't sure how he would react when he finally saw her again.

"Edward, I'm going to let the others back in here again. Are you ready?"

No "Yes. I just want this over with."

.

…

.

"So let's pick up where we left off," Officer Fuller stated, after having turned the audio recorder back on again. "Edward, I'd like to know, would you say you're easily provoked?"

"No. I mean, maybe when I was younger, to some extent, but not now." he shook his head.

"Are you telling the truth now? Police Chief Swan seems to think you're a trouble maker. He says he's been called to help break up several fights where you've been involved one way or another."

"Chief Swan doesn't like me much. He never has. That's no secret. I mean, not even before he found out about me 'sexually defiling' his daughter… or whatever it is he thinks I've done. He pulls me over for speeding tickets every chance he gets. He's been at it since I turned sixteen and got my license."

"Traffic violations aside; the police evidently has been breaking up fights on a number of occasions. I say 'evidently', because it's been well documented in both police reports and newspaper articles."

"I never started any of those fights," Edward said in an even tone though it came out slightly deeper than he intended. Clearing his throat he tried again. "Things were turbulent for a while, because of my brother's involvement with Rosalie. Her ex, Royce King, was an abusive bastard and his friends are all jerks. You can ask Chief Swan to confirm this. If he disagrees, he's lying. Those assholes are the real troublemakers, the real provokers around here."

"Right. Because you never pick fights, you just end them. I think that this 'rich kid tough guy' image you have created for yourself, make you the guy everyone wants to see taken down a peg or two."

"Story of my life."

"What was that Edward? Care to repeat that louder?"

"No. It was nothing important. Sorry."

"Alright… I've got one more question about your family and the situation with your parent's divorce, if that's alright?"

Edward felt like hitting his head on the table. They couldn't make him answer questions if he was unconscious. He didn't, of course. He simply nodded.

"Tell me this… How did you and your sister feel about the man that were about to become your stepfather? Did you like him? Did you get along with him? Were you looking forward to spending more time with him?"

"I-… I don't think I want to answer that question."

"I've read the deposition you gave after his death. Or well, you didn't actually say much, did you?…. Your sister, on the other hand, was surprisingly well spoken for someone her tender age. Edward, you told me you, and your sister, were both out on that driveway, watching the car roll backwards. But that's not true, is it? In fact, I know you were actually in the front seat of the car when it-…"

"McCarthy's death was ruled an accident and the investigation was quickly and quietly closed. Those depositions you speak of were sealed."

"Edward, you didn't like your mom's new boyfriend much, now did you? You wanted your parents to stay together. You didn't need another dad. You were angry, frustrated, hurt -…"

"I was f-ing seven years old," Edward snapped and bit the inside of his cheek to keep from lashing out further.

Just then, a discreet knock on the door interrupted the interrogation. Deputy Forge unlocked the door and let Officer Heidi Burns into the room.

The police woman immediately pulled Fuller into a hushed conversation, after which the latter declared, "Alright, something has come up. We'll need to take a break and reconvene in… shall we say an hour." He checked the time on his wristwatch. "I'm sorry about this. I'll see to it so that you get served some food in the meantime, Edward. I can get one of my colleagues to order you a pizza from the place across the street. Does that sound good?"

Edward looked at his lawyer who shrugged. "Pizza sounds like a good deal."

"Alright. Yeah, I'd like that pizza. No mushrooms, please."

As it turned out, they never returned to finish the interrogation that night. As fate would have it, new discoveries were about to change everything yet again. Edward didn't know this, of course. And so he endured a horrific night of tormenting himself with questions he could not answer. He really, truly, hated not having control of the situation.

.

…

.

 _AN: What do you know… sounds like seven year old Edward might have had some step-dad issues, doesn't it? I did warn you that Carlisle and Esme's past marital problems would come up again and that some bad stuff happened when they were not together… stuff that had major impact on their kids lives._

 _I have three comments about this…_

 _1.) We've already heard from Emmett (junior) that his dad Emmett McCarty (senior) wasn't a good man. He was both verbally and physically abusive towards his son. Emmett admitted he sometimes wondered if he would have even lived to see his eighteenth birthday, if newly divorced Esme Platt and her two children hadn't come barging into his life the way they had. He also hinted at knowing his father's death had not been as random, or sudden as it might have seemed… He might even have hinted that he knew the accident hadn't been entirely accidental..._

 _2.) Remember when Carlisle found drugs in the garage and Edward knew Alice was somewhat involved, but he decided not to tell on her… Edward reasoned that after all Alice had done for him when they were kids, he owed her that much… and then some. "She had saved his neck once. This was nothing compared to the secrets she'd kept for him throughout the years... " Hmm…and what secrets could that be?_

 _3.) If you ever wondered why Charlie never liked Edward, then here's your answer… Even if this all happened before Charlie became the chief of police, I still imagine he was part of the investigation surrounding McCarthy's fatal 'accident' and he was there to hear (or read) Alice and Edward's depositions._ _However, much like Emmett, Charlie wasn't entirely convinced it was an accident. So much so that he had reservations about Bella spending too much time in Edward's presence. He even went as far as telling Esme and Carlisle "That boy of yours has done some incredibly sick and cruel things in the past. He has proven time and time again that he has no conscience, no sense of right or wrong. A bad seed who turned into a rotten tree."_

 _There will, of course, be more on this subject in future chapters._

 _Next update will be a week from now._


	78. Chapter 78

*-=[ The past -Isabella Swan, 17 y.o ]=-*

*Bella POV*

.

….

.

Bella remembered the day she'd been arrested quite vividly. Most of her hospital-stay up until that point had been a blur. The days blended together and each became less and less distinguishable from previous one until it became an exact repeat.

This particular day, however, started with Dr. O'Riordan informing her that the hospital had no reason to keep her any longer. Apparently, her body had recovered as well as could be expected from the surgical procedure. The incision was healing nicely and her blood work was back to normal. In essence, Bella's discharge papers would be ready around lunch time that very day.

Charlie, who'd received the same information as Bella, was not happy about this development. So much so, that he was pleading with the doctor to push back the discharge another few days.

Bella, however, had already started making plans for her first couple of hours of 'freedom' – a drive through meal from the best burger joint in town, maybe even a milkshake for dessert, and… best of all, this feast would be had out on her father's back porch. It felt like it had been ages since she had last been exposed to fresh air and full daylight.

She didn't quite understand why her father was being difficult. This was great news! When you're hospitalized, you really just want to focus on getting well and going home. It was something that should be celebrated not hindered.

Thing was, while Bella preferred to remain in her little bubble of unawareness, Charlie didn't have that luxury. He'd been in law enforcement far too long for that. He knew what was about to happen the moment Bella set foot outside the safety of her hospital room… and no, it did not involve burgers and milkshakes.

To be fair, Charlie had tried to warn his daughter that an arrest was imminent (as had the attorney, of course. Astonishingly though, Bella had shrugged it off as a bad dream. Denial and numbness had quickly become her buffers, preventing her from seeing where all this were going…

Well, maybe it hadn't escaped her completely, but… she wasn't ready to acknowledge it fully just yet.

The rest of the morning flew by in a flurry of activity, as Bella busied herself with getting ready. She showered, washed her hair and brushed her teeth. Her pickings when it came to clothes was depressingly slim, but eventually she settled on something comfortable, but not something that made it look like she'd just rolled out of a hospital bed.

She couldn't even remember the last time she'd bothered to look at herself in a mirror.

As she was waiting for her father to come and pick her up, she even applied a little bit of makeup, courtesy of one of the nurses who generously let her borrow some foundation and a light blusher.

In the meanwhile, Charlie had spent the morning trying to reach Charlotte Vasilii - the very bright and sympathetic, but also, somewhat inexperienced defense attorney he'd hired. When he finally managed to get the woman on the phone, she couldn't stay on long, as she had an ongoing court case to get back to. However, after a brief deliberation they'd agreed on a strategy. After the call ended, Chief Swan went into town to seek out his temporary replacement - a transfer from the Tahoma department going by the name Jenks - in hopes of paving the way for a smooth and 'quiet' arrest.

As it turned out, this meeting was something Bella didn't find out about until way later. Subsequently, she'd been both shocked and confused, when Charlie eventually showed up at her hospital room with two policemen in tow. It felt like a betrayal. She knew she hadn't always been the best daughter in the past, but she'd always taken care of herself, making sure to keep up with school and staying out of trouble. She'd never been arrested before. Quite frankly she'd never thought she'd ever be arrested… or well, not like this anyway…

"Bells, I tried to warn you…"

'You didn't warn me enough!' she wanted to scream at him.

'I'm only seventeen! I don't know everything! I can't know everything!'

She wanted to yell, to scream at the world for the injustice it had thrown her way,

This was such a mess… Just a few days earlier, the attorney – Charlotte – had insisted the scale had tipped in Bella's favor with the public release of the long-awaited autopsy report. The attorney had even gone as far as saying this could make the difference between a felony and a misdemeanor charge.

What happened there? Was it all bullshit? Why couldn't things go her way just once?

Bella tried to remember the specifics, but she couldn't. She had tuned out the minute Charlotte's recount of the autopsy report had turned gorey (there was that coping mechanism of numbness and denial again). She'd listen long enough to gather that the attorney was of the opinion that the murder-related charges were no longer applicable due to the findings outlined in the report. And offences like incite and conspiracy to murder were, apparently, off the table as well.

In Bella's mind neither one those offences had ever been 'on the table', but whatever. This entire thing was just one big cluster fuck of false accusations and lies from beginning to end. The sooner they realized that, the better. Even though she hadn't contributed much to the police investigation, she had, perhaps naively, been convinced it would be closed due to a lack of sufficient evidence.

Turns out, the district attorney and the police were of an entirely different opinion, as they seemed to think they had more than enough to warrant an arrest on several quite serious charges - attempted murder being the one that stuck out the most. There were also, child abandonment, child endangerment and medical neglect charges.

And so arrested she was….on multiple charges.

.

…

.

Soon thereafter, Bella found herself being escorted out through the ambulance bay and into a waiting car.

Even after the initial shock wore off, it still seemed unreal, especially as the Miranda rights were read and the handcuffs went on her wrists. It was like something you'd see on TV.

In an effort to avoid photos being taken and put online, Charlie had insisted on holding a raincoat over her head. He meant well, but the whole thing must have looked like quite the spectacle. First came Bella, with one cop on either side of her and then following behind was Charlie, speed-walking, with a black raincoat with yellow details, flapping in the wind like a symbolic plague flag, signaling death and certain destruction. It must have turned more heads than if they'd just walked out like normal people, for sure.

Luckily, the waiting car was a 'regular' looking one (and not a police cruiser) and thankfully, the street where it was parked was more or less deserted.

Once arriving at the police station, Bella was fingerprinted, photographed and formally booked. But instead of being taken to a jail cell, she was strip-searched and then handcuffed to a chair in her father's office. Charlie joined her after 20 something minutes, but he wasn't overly talkative (when was he ever?).

When she asked what they were waiting for, the only response she got was 'transport'.

Transport where? Not home, that much she had gathered.

It was only after much prodding and nagging on Bella's part, that she found out her father had requested a transport back to the hospital.

"The hospital?" she parroted, knowing it wasn't exactly by the book. In fact, the officer handling the fingerprintingprocess had informed Bella she would have to spend the night in a cell at the station. "Why would you do that?"

"Because you have a dark bruise, located in the abdominal area right near the belly button, which has raised some health concerns," her father responded matter-of-factly.

"A bruise? What bruise?" she questioned. She did have several, mostly healed, scrapes and quite a few faint bruises that much was true, but none of them were in the area near her belly button.

"Think about it… Do you want to spend the night in this place?" her father countered, before he went on explaining that a bruise in that area could indicate internal bleeding from a torn internal suture, which was something that could happen if you moved around too much, too soon. It needed to be checked out by a doctor. Hence, why the request for transport back to the hospital had been approved.

Bella found out later that the whole thing was part of a deal struck between her father and the new, temporary appointed, Police Chief.

"You can thank me later," her father said, looking at the clock on the wall.

"Don't hold your breath" Bella huffed, before adding, "Isn't lying to the police a big no-no?"

"I AM the police," he said shaking his head." Frankly Bells, I don't think you could get in any more trouble than you are already in. If anyone asks, you have a bruise near your belly button. It is dark purple in color and very much real. End of discussion."

.

...

.

The minutes started to feel like hours and time dragged slower and slower till Bella felt she could take it no more. That's when she made the mistake of opening her mouth asking if they could stop for food on their way to the hospital.

This, apparently, tipped her father over into foul mood territory… BIG time.

"Food?! You want food now? I don't think you understand the severity of the situation!"

"Okay, sorry. Forget I said anything…" she muttered.

"Bells, you have to understand, attempted murder is a serious-…"

"Felony. Yes, I'm aware."

"If this goes to trial you can say goodbye to graduating with your friends, you can say goodbye to college next year, you can say goodbye to-…"

"It won't go to trial though," she insisted, stubbornly.

"It might. And if it does, the likelihood that you'll be tried as an adult is very high."

"Now, you're just trying to scare me," she shook her head. "They'll close the investigation on the grounds of insufficient evidence. That's what this will boil down to…"

"No, Isabella. That's not how this will end and you know it. Denial isn't going to get you out of this situation. I fully expect you to start cooperating and follow whatever advice your attorney gives you!"

"What attorney? It's hard to take advice from someone that isn't even around!" Bella responded sourly.

"We'll see her first thing in the morning… And you will listen to her! So help me-…"

"God? You don't believe in God," she challenged him.

Her father merely shook his head at her. "Don't be a smartass, you smartass!"

"Don't be a hypocrite!" she shot back.

"Watch it Bells," he warned. "I'm the only support system you've got! And my patience with you is wearing thin. The medical bills alone are going to cost me a fortune and don't get me started on the lawyer fees…."

Ouch, that stung. "I'm costing you a fortune you mean! Well, if you add up all the child support you never paid mom, I reckon we're probably about even…"

"What did I say about being a smartass?!

"I rather be a smartass than a dumbass..." she shrugged, faking nonchalance.

"Isabella Marie Swan! I don't want to hear another word from you. No more talking!"

"Fine!" she huffed. "I don't want to talk to you anyway!"

.

…

.

Another half an hour passed with no change. Bella was still stuck in that office with her father, who was still fuming it seemed. He kept muttering inaudible things to himself at randomtimes.

At one point while they were sitting there, a sudden noise filtered through the closed door. There seemed to be some kind of ruckus going on in another, not too far off, section of the building. It was hard to tell what was happening, it sounded like someone was throwing things around as there were several crashes along with some muted screaming.

Then, there was silence again.

"What the heck was that?" Bella couldn't keep herself from asking.

Her father shrugged and said, "Probably just some stupid punk resisting his arrest and acting like a piece of shit."

"Right. And you think I'm trouble?!"

Bella actually thought she saw a lip twitch, or maybe it was just the draft from the a/c getting to her father's mustache. Either way, it made her feel like maybe he cared a little bit about her after all.

More time passed, and then some more. At the 2 hour, 45 minute mark there was finally a knock on the door and deputy Forge poked his head inside the office, asking if they were ready to roll.

Bella was so ready, ready wasn't even ready! Yes, at this point, even her own thoughts were a jumbled mess.

A female officer, whose name didn't stick, came in and rearranged the handcuffs so that Bella was no longer chained to her seat. The same officer then escorted her out of the station and into the same regular looking car they'd traveled in earlier in the day.

It was during this walk out to the parking lot, that Bella saw a face she thought she recognized, but couldn't quite place.

After mulling it over during the drive to the hospital, it finally came to her…The face looked familiar, because it belonged to none other than Peter Whitlock – Jasper's dad and Rosie's stepdad - who Bella knew was a prominent criminal defense lawyer and partner at some fancy law firm.

She knew this because she'd heard Carlisle joke with Alice and Jasper on numerous occasions about having Mr. Whitlock on speed dial.

 _'You kids better behave or I'll stick my lawyer on you… I bet my lawyer would have something to say about this… A night out on the town? Oh, I don't know, I'll need to check with my lawyer on that one….'  
_

However, even after realizing who it was she'd seen at the station, Bella still didn't quite connect all the dots.

It wasn't until 20 something hours later that she fully realized that Mr. Whitlock's visit to the station must have been work related. Well, duh! Obviously, he was there because one of his clients needed him to be there… And with that realization came another one - it was possible, likely even, that this client and the 'stupid punk' her father had spoken of, the one resisting his arrest, was one and the same person, namely Edward f-ing Cullen!

.

…

.

While Bella remembered getting arrested quite clearly, she honestly didn't have that many memories of the arraignment hearing at the courthouse the following day, mostly because she'd only slept two hours – tops- that night. But also, because shielding herself from the hurtful reality had become something of a second nature to her.

She'd been present, but not all there. She had done what was expected of her. She pleaded 'not guilty' and then answered every question they had for her in a polite but flat tone of voice. However, in-between those questions, she more or less zoned out. So much so that she nearly missed when they began discussing whether or not a bail should be set.

Apparently, the prosecutor had wanted to see an amount on the higher end at the scale. Hawever, Bella's attorney kindly reminded the judge that her client was a minor, with no criminal record, who posed no flight risk. Attorney-Charlotte also made sure to point out that her client's father was none other than hard-working, single father Charles Swan - Forksvery own well-respected Police Chief, a man who'd dedicated his life to law enforcement and fighting crimes and keeping everyone safe... and yada…yada….

 _Nice use of the 'single-dad-slash-cop card' there! Bella snorted inwardly._

Charlotte went on arguing that the defendant should be released under her own recognizance. In other words, released without having to pay any bail.

 _No doubt, this was the outcome Charlie was rooting for…_

The prosecutor objected to this, of course, saying that it was Miss Swan and not her father that was facing these charges. For some reason he seemed to think having only lived in Forks with her father for a year made Bella a major flight risk.

This, in turn, had attorney-Charlotte bringing up the eighth amendment, which stipulates that 'bail shall not be excessive'.

By this point Bella was having a hard time following it all, but it went on like this, back and forth for a while. In the end, the judge decided on a compromise. The bail was set to $50,000 -which was lower than the amount the procesusion had originally suggested - but with the added condition of a GPS ankle monitor and house arrest to ensure the defendant would not abscond.

The judge also spoke directly to Charlie, strongly advising him to try and work something out with Bella's high school principal, so that Bella could keep up with her school work for teh duration of her house arrest.

 _Whatever... Bella would_ _gladly finish any school assignmets sent her way. No problem... Just as long as she didn't have to set foot at school in the flesh... ever again. In fact,_ _she would _rather gnaw her own leg off_ than going there! She was so done with that place...  
_

Anyway, after that they went on discussing when a preliminary hearing could be held. The judge decided a week was ample time for both the prosecution and the defense to prepare for the hearing.

Bella knew from what her attorney had told her, that a preliminary hearing was like a 'mini-trial before trial' where you'd get to see and hear what the prosecutor's evidence looked like. The judge then got to decide if there was enough evidence to go to trial.

 _Did that mean this whole thing could be over in a week? Bella certainly hoped so. Wasn't it_ _ _a statistically proven fact_ that only a small percentage of cases actually went to trial?!_

Twenty minutes after it had begun, the arraignment was over. Charlie must have had a bondsman ready to sign that check straight away, because there was no waiting time and minimal fuss.

 _Something running smooth for once! What were the odds...?_

It had also been decided that Bella would be allowed to head on home without the ankle monitor for the time being. Turns out the Forks Police District lacked the technology for it and that one would have to be brought in from Seattle. They were told to go home and wait, and that a GPS technician would come by to see them later in the day.

Once all the details were settled, Bella and Charlie were ushered out of the courtroom through the judge's chambers. Thankfully, the arraignment had been closed to both the public and the media. However, the area in front of the courthouse was packed with people hoping to steal a glance or snap a picture. Charlotte insisted a majority of them were reporters and media people, but Bella found that hard to believe... until some journalist spotted them getting into the car, and hell broke loose, that is...

They ended up being followed all the way home. And it didn't stop there... They sight that met them as they pulled up on their street was disheartening. Crews from at least two rivaling news outlets were rigth there waiting for them on the street infront of Charlie's house.

Her father offered to circle the block a few times while the police worked on clearing the street, but Bella couldn't stand waiting one minute longer than necessary. She just wanted to be inside the house already.

The last thing she heard as she sprinted up the driveway was Charlie doing 'crowd control' threatening the masses with - "Get off my property! I'll shoot first and find out if it was justified later."

.

…  
 _._

 _AN: Bella really isn't in a good place. Her snarkiness is her reflex to the situation, as is her denial. While she doesn't have have a very clear memory of what happened, she doesn't have amnesia or anything like that. Aknowledging what happened would mean living through the pain again, which she isn't ready for just yet._

 _Also, Charlie won't win any 'father of the year' awards, but mostly he's just clueless as to how to go about talking to his daughter._


	79. Chapter 79

**-=[Isabelle Higginbotham, the present ]=-**

 **.**

…

.

"Are you awake?" Edward whispered into Bella's hair, voice only just audible over the sound of rain pattering against the window.

"M'now," she whispered back and pried an eye open. The hotel room was still dark, but she sensed it was morning. Early, early morning.

"Sorry," he whispered, nuzzling further into her hair, breathing in heavily and sighing. Then, he added, "You've been twisting and turning… Are you alright? Is it your head-…"

"I'm fine," she interrupted him with a huff, burying her head in her pillow.

She'd thought falling asleep would prove impossible considering her internal turmoil. Evidently exhaustion had won out in the long run though.

How long had she slept? Not long enough, she suspected, as her mind felt groggy and muddled.

"What time is it?" Her question came out muffled, but Edward seemed to have heard it anyway. _  
_

The mattress shifted as he turned over and fumbled for his phone on the night stand. "5:05" he finally responded, his voice rough and low.

"Oh… You'll need to be leaving soon then, I suppose…" she whispered back, lifting her head off the pillow this time before she spoke.

"Tired of me already? I see how it is," he fired back, before resuming his previous position; snuggled up against Bella's side. "You're cruel Swan, so cruel, throwing me out in my undies…in the rain… without as much as a goodbye kiss."

She didn't answer straight away.

Honestly, she was a bit surprised he'd actually stuck around till morning. Emotional entanglements had never been his scene. And she'd cried all over him for a long ass time before falling asleep. The Edward she'd once known was more likely to bail out, than to stick around after something like that.

And now he was totally yanking her chain, making light of the situation to distract her from getting all emotional on him again. She wasn't sure what to make of that.

Silence stretched as she pondered her options, but it was not an unpleasant moment.

"I'm not kicking you out… at least not yet," was what she finally said. "I was just assuming you have somewhere you need to be. Also, don't say I didn't warn you …. I've never been much of a morning person. That hasn't changed."

"Yeah, yeah. It's all coming back to me now," he snorted, but not unkindly.

"Listen," Bella said. "I don't know when you need to get to work or the gym or wherever you usually go in the mornings."

He started to say something, but she held up her hand. "What I do know, however, is that I have a meeting at nine thirty to get to and I'd like to swing by the hospital to see Charlie before then, so… I guess what I'm saying here, after the longest lead-up in history, is that it would be weird if I didn't offer to give you a ride."

"Oh… You're offering me a ride?"

"Well… I mean, it is raining and you do live right by the hospital where I'm heading, so… yes, you have a ride, if you want one?!"

"Don't sound so thrilled, Swan," Edward quipped.

She rolled her eyes, which of course he couldn't see.

He probably sensed it though, because after a second or two, he added, "Seriously, you don't have to. I can walk myself home." And for once he was speaking in a normal, non-teasing tone of voice. "It's not a problem. I've got plenty of time to get home, shower and get on my way to work. I don't need to be at the station until ten o'clock."

"Don't be ridiculous. I wouldn't offer you a ride if I didn't mean it. I'll leave at six thirty, so all you hav-..."

"Six thirty?!" he exclaimed. "You really ARE trying to sneak me out of here while it's still dark outside, aren't you?!"

"Yeah, I you got me," she deadpanned. "I'm gonna have to insist you ride in the trunk."

There was a soft snort. "I prefer to have plenty of legroom and ample air supply. How about I hide under a blanket in the back seat?"

"Great… Because that wouldn't look odd at all," she yawned. "Glad we got that settled. Now excuse me while I snooze for another….35 minutes." With that she buried herself further into the bed covers.

.

…

.

Some time passed—ten minutes, perhaps more.

Bella kept her eyes closed for a bit, but no real rest was had.

Edward didn't seem to fare any better on that front either. Every now and then, she would hear him heave a sigh or change his position on the mattress beside her.

Finally, Bella couldn't stop herself from poking him in the shoulder. "Cut it out! I'm trying to sleep here..."

"Sorry. But, I was just thinking… "

"Stop thinking. It' too early for that," she huffed, adjusting her pillow.

"Alright. Alright…but hear me out. Can I ask you something?"

"Fine," she sighed. "What do you want to know?"

"It's more of a request than it is a question… or two requests, actually," he paused for a beat. "Not sure how to say this other than to just say it…"

"So go for it," she grumbled.

"Right. When we part ways - you know after you drop me off in an hour or two…" He waited for her to nod before going on. "Please, don't let that be the last time I see you."

She was taken aback a bit. Surely, he already knew she had obligations that would keep her from just uping and leaving... He just wanted to hear her say it. Right…. Right?

Before she had formulated a response he was talking again.

"I won't force you to interact with …my family, or anyone else. Em's gonna bug me to no end to get the lowdown on what happened after he left. I won't tell him anything. I promise."

"Sure you won't..." she replied and pinched his side, which made him squirm and fend off her hands.

"Just, don't skip town without saying goodbye," Edward added, after a few beats. Don't leave before we've had a chance to talk things through and settled everything between us. Please!"

Settle what exactly? The thought came and went as her mind tried to comprehend what she was hearing.

She realized, the previous night's conversation had ended rather abruptly, but…what else was there to say? She had told him she needed time to process it all. Her mind was so jumbled she couldn't think straight.

Suddenly, his closeness was too much. She needed space, so she carefully extricated her body from his embrace.

"I know I probably don't deserve it, but I hope you will give me at least that..." he pushed.

"You said you had two requests; what's the second one?" she asked, instead of giving him a straight answer.

He hung his head, then nodded. "Believe it or not, but the second one is about Charlie. Would it be possible for me to visit him?"

"You want to visit my dad? At the hospital?" she checked, as if not sure she'd heard him correctly.

"Yes. I know he won't be awake, or even know I'm there."

"Edward, he's not-…" Her voice broke before she could finish the sentence

"I know. His condition is beyond serious and he isn't expected to get any better. I'd like to pay my respect and say goodbye to him, if you'll allow it."

"Okay," she managed somewhat shakily, hiding her eyes under her arm.

"Okay?"

"I-…Yes." She nodded. "I'll put you on the list."

"How does it work? I know they have like visiting hours and rules and... I mean, do I just show up, or do I have to contact someone to schedule something ahead of time?"

"I-... I can't-... Can we not do this right now?"

"I'm sorry, Bella." She heard the sheets rustle as Edward moved his arm to pull her closer again.

She couldn't stop a sound from escaping… a soft breathing with a hiccup in it…it took him half a minute to realize it was a sob.

"I didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't…" She fought to stop her voice from cracking. "It's just that we've-….Sue and I, we've decided… There is a date… an end date…"

"A date? An end date?" he repeated slowly. "You've decided on a date to take him off life support?"

She nodded.

"Oh, I had no idea." He squeezed her shoulder. "That must be awful. I've never lost a parent, so I don't know how it feels, but I would imagine it sucks… and hurts. And I'm sorry for adding more stress to your life due to ill-timing on my part. I shouldn't have said anything. I didn't think this through obviously. Sorry…"

At this point, it was either laughing or crying, so yeah... she gave a small laugh. "You could say, life's been bitch-slapping me lately. It's not yours, or anyone's fault... Not even Charlie's. Though I wished he would have taken his own health more seriously."

"If I can help you in any way whatsoever, just let me know. If you need someone to talk to, I'm available. If you need to get away and not talk or think about anything serious for a while, I'm can be a good distraction. I'll even throw in my brother for comic relief."

"Wait, what?"she snorted, wiping at her eyes as she laughed. She was a bit confused, trying to follow his line of thoughts.

"He is a funny guy and you tend to get all snarky and smiley when he's around."

"He is a funny guy and good to be around, but-…"

\- BANG! -

Just then, there was a loud knock on the door to the hotel room.

Perhaps a knock was the wrong word, since 'a knock' was typically followed by another knock and another and another until the door was opened. This was more like one single loud bang. Actually, it sounded almost like someone had thrown a heavy object against the door… deliberately attempting to wake them, or play a prank on them… or scare them… or rather scare HER, seeing as no one was supposed to know she had company.

"Did you hear-…" she started to say, but was interrupted.

"Shhh!" Edward was already on his feet, moving quietly towards the door. "I think someone's out there…."

There was a peephole on the door, so he looked through the lens, before turning back to Bella.

"Can't see anyone," he whispered, and then motioned that he was about to step outside and have a more thorough look around.

"Give me a sec," Bella whispered back, as she, too, moved to get out of the bed.

She didn't want to be naked for this, so she made sure she was fully covered by a bathrobe. Then, to be on the safe side, she grabbed the heaviest object within arm's reach (the blow dryer).

Having been jumped one time too many lately, she wanted to be prepared, in the unlikely event they would find someone lurking in the shadows.

Blow dryer I hand, she gave Edward the go ahead.

"Stay behind me, alright." he said, placing one hand on the lock and the other on the handle. Then, he went for it, swinging the door open with a loud thud.

There was no one out there — of course.

The hallway was silent and empty in both directions. Or not quite empty. There was something on the floor that didn't belong; a fist sized rock with a note tied to it. Someone must have thrown it at the door.

When Edward didn't pick it up, Bella grew impatient and took a step closer.

"Don't touch it!" He stopped her with an arm around her waist, pulling her back. "We need to use a hankie or something so we don't ruin any fingerprints."

"I've got it." She tried to turn around and pick up a discarded shirt from beside the bed. "Let me-..."

"No, let me, Bella." He interrupted her a second time.

She looked at him then, really looked at the sincerity in his eyes and the determination in his stance.

He was standing there, wearing nothing but his boxer briefs, his hair sticking in all direction and his eyes swollen like he hadn't slept for days.

"I want to see firsthand what we're dealing with here."

"Not so much 'we', as 'me'," Bella grumbled, but took a step back, allowing him to pick up the note and unwrap it.

He didn't say anything and the suspense was killing her…

"Well? What does it say?" she tried to urge him on.

He didn't answer; instead he turned the paper for her to read for herself.

It wasn't a joke. It wasn't a prank, it was for real and it was incredibly violating.

.

….

.


	80. Chapter 80

_**AN: Sorry you had to wait so long for this.**_

*-=[ The past -Isabella Swan, 17 y.o ]=-*

 _(This picks up the afternoon after Bella was released on bail. She's just returned home and walked up the stairs to her room for the first time in weeks)_

 _._

 _..._

 _._

"Bella?"

She heard her father calling her name from the kitchen below.

She did not answer, and after a moment's hesitation she heard him take the stairs. Two at a time.

"Bells, are you up there? Where did you go?"

Where did I go? Where did my door go? Bella wanted to scream at him, but she didn't say anything, instead she simply gave her father a murderous glare while pointing accusingly at the now empty doorway where the door to her room used to be.

"Oh…that," Charlie said and stopped mid-stairs, looking up at her with an uneasy expression on his face."I took it off. It was suggested to me-… "

She couldn't hold it in any longer. "You took my door off! That's incredibly intrusive!" she exploded. "I'm not a kid… You have no right to come into my room, and… and do something like that!"

"You didn't let me finish. It's so that I can keep an eye on you for the next couple of weeks. Behave and you'll get it back in no time. Alright. Same goes for your phone and computer privileges."

"Alright? Fuck NO. Not alright." She was so fed up with this. It wasn't even about the door. She just wanted her life back, dammit! She'd thought getting out of the hospital and going home would mean she'd get at least a smidgen of freedom back. She couldn't have been more wrong, apparently. "Ever heard of privacy? You can't f-ing do this!"

"I can and I already have… No more secrets behind closed doors," her father told her, his voice grave. "You can scream and curse all you want about how this isn't fair, but I'm still your father, and I have the right to make decisions about the things that will keep you safe."

"No, you don't," she objected. "You have the right to suggest things and give me advice and try to explain your point of view. But I don't have to listen. You don't control me. I've been making my own decisions for years, and that's not about to change."

"Oh, but it is. There are going to be some changes around here. You're my responsibility and I'm done being duped by you. There will be no more secrets behind closed doors, no more spitting out your meds the minute I turn my back and obviously I won't tolerate any form of substance abuse or any other form of self harm around here. Is that understood?"

Bella glared at her father for a second before she turned away and stalked to the back of her room.

"Just a heads up, Sue will be over with some food in a little bit," Charlie called out after her. "She'll stay and eat with us."

"I don't want to see anyone," Bella shouted back at him as she threw herself on her bed.

"Tough luck," Charlie had reached the open doorway, but did not enter. "She is coming over regardless of how you feel. She's been a godsend these past few weeks, bringing over groceries and homemade frozen meals and-… "

"I'm not coming down to eat. I'm not hungry."

"I don't really care. You have to eat something, so that you can take your meds. There's no use complaining about it."

"Ugh!" Bella let out a frustrated noise and shot up on the bed to defend herself. "You took my door out! I'll complain as much as I damn well please."

"Lunch at thirteen hundred hours."

"You're gonna get so tired of hearing me complain, you're gonna regret not being able to shut the door on me!" Her voice was still slightly strained after days, no weeks of not speaking much at all. She was done being quiet. If Charlie thought he could boss her around, he'd soon find out differently. If that meant being difficult every chance she got, then so be it.

"That's okay. This time I've done my homework and know what I'm in for," Charlie said, arms crossed over his chest where he stood, leaning against the doorframe. "I've been told to expect many emotional outbursts and temper flairs from you when you finally start to come to terms with everything you've been through."

Bella fixed him with another glare. She didn't like the sound of this… Who had he been talking to? Esme? Or worse… some other shrink, passing out advice without knowing the first thing about Bella.

"Now, I know I've only skirted around this subject in the past. I know I've failed you, Isabella. I didn't get you the therapy and support you needed when you first moved in here. I didn't understand the full extent of the emotional and physical abuse that bastard put you through. That's on me, I made a mistake, but I hope -..."

"Can we NOT make this about HIM?!" Bella interrupted him abruptly.

She didn't want her mind to go there, but the images were already flashing through her head. And the smell. God, the smell of cheap beer and sweat was all over her.

"Bells…" her father started.

"NO!"

She didn't want to speak about this. She never spoke about this. She didn't want to remember the many ways Phil Dwyer had bullied and abused her throughout the years. There was so much guilt and shame associated with it. While the inappropriate touching and lewd comments only became a problem once she hit puberty, the undermining of confidence and belittling of her appearance had been an ongoing thing from day one. She felt she should have understood sooner what he was doing. She'd realized way too late that he was grooming her for the unspeakable.

No, she didn't want to mind to go there. Specifically, she didn't want to remember that one time when she'd had to fend off a drunken Phil who'd turned up uninvited in her bedroom late at night.

She woke to the weight of his body, pressing her into the mattress, calling her his little whore. The more she fought against him the more vulgar he became. "That's right. Wiggle for me you little slut. Spread your little whore legs for daddy! "

The one thing that saved her that time was the fact that he'd been drunk. His movements had been slow and clumsy and she'd managed to escape by biting him someplace where it really hurt. She'd used so much force that her teeth had met through the flesh of this tongue. Served him right for trying to shove it down her throat! Needless to say, she didn't spend another night in that house with that monster.

Why was her father bringing this up now?! Nothing good would ever come out of talking or even thinking about it. The important part was that she'd managed to escape and that Phil had been dead and buried for over a year now. When she left Phoenix for Forks she had been determined to put it all behind her. Not an easy feat, of course, but she'd like to think she'd gotten to a point where it had little to no impact on her current life. Though, it sounded like her father was of a different opinion all together.

Suddenly, all the frustration that had built up came spilling out like water through a broken dam.

"I f-ing hate that everyone tries to make this about HIM! Poor Bella Swan, her stepfather molested her when she was just a kid and now she's turned into some broken, out of control sex-crazed nymphomaniac. No wonder she got herself pregnant at seventeen and refused to name the father… "

She paused to breathe but her father looked like he was going to say something so she rushed on."Guess what!? Not EVERYTHING has to be linked together. Sometimes shit happens for no fathomable reason. I'm not some troubled teenager, who acts out with drugs and destructive behavior for attention. I've not been engaging in sex promiscuously as a mean to heal some emotional wounds… I haven't been sleeping around… not even a little."

"I've never said that."

"But you've been thinking it."

Her father stared at her in silence for a few moments. Then he shook his head. "I'm glad you're finally venting things instead of just bottling it all up, Bells… Those first weeks when you wouldn't speak at all was awful. Unfortunately, we'll have to continue this later. It's not a conversation to get into when you're expecting company."

"I'll be happy if we never speak of this again," Bella huffed. "Not everything has to be picked apart and analyzed."

"Lunch at thirteen hundred hours. You don't have to sit at the table with us, if you don't want to. After you've taken your pills, you can bring your plate up to your room and finish it there. That's fine. There is no getting out of eating though, just so we're clear!"

"What are you gonna do – spoon feed me?! You're like fifteen years too late for that!"

She thumped her head back into her pillow in frustration - angry with herself for allowing herself to get this worked up about something as silly as a missing door.

.

…

.

"Where's your door?"

Bella looked up from the book she was trying to read.

There, standing in the open doorway to her room, was Leah , because as if Sue coming over for a visit wasn't bad enough, the woman had to bring her sourpuss of a daughter along with her...

"Cut the crap, Leah! What do you want?"

Bella didn't want to sound like a bitch– but she was not without weren't friends. They didn't hang out. They didn't even pretend to get along most of the time. So the question seemed relevant…"Why are you here?

"Oh, she speaks!" Leah responded in mock amazement. "Word around school is that you've gone mute, or catatonic... or just plain crazy."

"I speak when I feel like it." Bella interrupted. "You're not supposed to be up here!"

"Why? Because you say so?"

"It's my room, so yes… I'm really not feeling up for company, so if you don't mind…" She trailed off and lifted her book again, as if to dismiss the other girl.

Leah, however, just shrugged. "This wasn't my idea. When mom heard you were coming home today, she was all 'poor Chief Swan needs our support now more than ever'. Don't get me wrong, before she knew your part in all this, she was just as scandalized and outraged as the rest of this town. I guess her curiosity won out in the end though. Or maybe her crush on your dad really runs THAT deep… I guess only time will tell," Leah said, sauntering into the room, as if she had nothing better to do.

Bella put her book away and glared at the intruder. "What about you Leah? Did you just tag along for the fun?! Newsflash; nothing to see here! Get out of my room! Move along!"

"It's not that I can't take a hint, it's just that I'm really hard to get rid of," the girl laughed and fixed his dark bangs."You avoided my question. What happen to your door, Bella? I'm curious…Did it break, or fall off, or….?"

Bella knew she should have kept her mouth shut, but she couldn't help it."If you must know, my father has decided that having a door to my bedroom is a luxury I do not deserve to have," she responded in a clipped voice, looking away from Leah's curious eyes. "No more secrets behind closed doors… Next he's gonna clear out all sharp objects and lock up all household cleaning products. Because I'm apparently not to be trusted alone anymore."

"Ouch! That's hash!"

"I answered your question, now you'll answer mine. What are you doing here, Leah?"

"I already told you, I came with mom-…"

"No. Let me rephrase… What are you snooping for? Is it gossip? Something juicy to bring back to school? You're not even supposed to be home for another few hours yet. Are you playing hooky?"

"Hey now, hey now… If I were snooping, don't you think I'd be a bit more stealthy about it? And I'm not playing hooky! I gave a perfectly legit reason for being home, mind you. I suffered a slight physical ailment during PE."

"What physical ailment? Did you stub your toe or something?"

"I tripped over a soccer ball and fell into the goal post, face first." Leah lifted her hair to reveal a nasty bump on the side of her forehead."Coach Wilson was hounding me all the way to the changing room, calling me a weak excuse for a life form. I didn't much like being yelled at, so that's why snuck off and I went home early."

"I've always said P.E. is the devils invention, and don't get me started on how I feel about that slave driver," Bella muttered.

"Couldn't agree more…. Anyway, mom insisted I had to come with her over here, so that she could keep an eye on me without having to change her plans for the afternoon…I mean, she was obviously on her way here to have a nose around, and also, to try and woo your dad with her culinary skills. Attempt number zillion and two…"

"She never gives up, does she?" Bella replied bitterly.

"I know. It's disgustingly uncomfortable to watch," Leah agreed, making a lovely gagging motion."Which is why I felt I had to flee the kitchen-…"

"Right, but you can't just barge in here and start chit chatting with me like we're friends or something… because we're not…"

The girl held her hands up in a defensive way. "I know. I didn't come here to 'chit chat'. I came to tell you-…no, warn you about something."

"Warn me? What for? Bella frowned, the hair on the back of her neck were prickling. This couldn't be good…

"I just thought you should know someone's been texting me… about you."

"Who? Jake?" she guessed. She knew he'd been in touch with Charlie, knew he'd been acting all apologetic and remorseful, asking how Bella was doing and if there was anything he could do to help etcetera, etcetera…. It was a bit weird, but apparently he really wanted to get back in Charlie's good grace's for some reason… Surely he understood Bella wanted nothing to do with him. Surely he got that? Right?

"No, not Jake." Leah was shaking her head. "The evil pixie."

"The-… who?" God, she really hoped this wasn't about who she thought it was…

Leah, however, crushed that hope real quick."The evil pixie, first name Alice, last name Cullen. Ring a bell?"

"Eh. Vaguely… Why would she-… I mean, she knows we don't really talk unless we're forced to, so why would she approach you of all people?"

"Because, I'm the next door neighbor. Not much gets past me. She wants to know if you're home yet. She's asked me that once every five minutes since she learned I'd ditched school to go home. It get's kind of repetitive after a while… However, the latest message, which came just a few minutes ago, was a little bit different. I figured I should pass along what she wrote, because you might want to prepare yourse-…"

"NO. You figured that wrong," Bella interrupted, digging her metaphorical heels in. "Leah, I mean it. I don't care if half the school's been texting you about me. I don't want to know about it!"

"Too bad, cuz I'm gonna show you anyway."

Despite Bella's protests, Leah turned her phone around to reveal the message.

 _'R U with her now? In her room? I can be there in 5. Will U help me get past the Chief? PLZ!"_

"HELL NO! Not gonna happen!" Bella protested strongly, because… well, she knew Alice had earned her 'evil pixie' nickname from being both stubborn and annoying as fuck. Honestly, Bella didn't want to subject herself to the interrogative nature that was Alice Cullen.

"Why can't people just leave me alone?!" she whined. "Did you know there were reporters here waiting for us when we got home? I was rudely accosted with both cameras and boom mics as I made my way from the car to the front door. Seriously, I don't want to have people over. I don't want any more drama! I just want be alone in my own room!"

"Sometimes drama can't be avoided and sometimes it needs to be addressed ASAP. I could be wrong, but I doubt Alice wants to come over to paint your nails and talk about the latest episode of her favorite TV show… In fact, I believe she has a bone to pick with you. She's hella upset with you and quite rightfully so."

"I- I don't know what you're talking about." Bella tried to play dumb, but Leah just laughed at her and rolled her eyes.

"Oh knock it off. You're not fooling me with that innocent act of yours."

"You're wearing on my patience."

"And you're wearing on mine…I'm talking about the way you screwed your friend over by screwing with her brother behind her back… Don't deny it, I've seen the two of you together and I've even had a chat about it with Eddie himself."

Bella had to fight with herself not to yell the other girl to shut up.

"What-the-f-ever,' she said instead, reminding herself that Leah knew nothing and was just fishing for information. "I think you should leave now."

"I'm sorry life's been shitty to you. I'm sorry you ended up in Forks with all of us, shitty people, living here... You've made it clear from the beginning that you didn't want to mix with us small town folks-that's fine, but stop with the pity party... The only one that can make this situation better is YOU."

"That's such a load of bullshit. Get out of here! And next time you hear from Alice, you inform her that you and I are on non-speaking terms. Alright?!" She crossed her arms over her chest in a gesture of finality.

"I'll tell her you're being unreasonable-…" Leah started saying, then she cursed her breath.

"What now?" Bella asked, watching her read something off her phone."Is it Alice again?"

"You're not going to like this. Yes, it's the pixie again, she just texted - _'never mind. I'm in."_

"She's in? In where?"

Just then, a throat was cleared, and they turned their faces toward the sound.

"-…in your house, in your room. Standing right in front of you," the newcomer said, speaking in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Alice," Bella and Leah, hissed in unison.

And shit, that came out way too loud!

She needn't have worried though, because Sue, being the God-sent, friendly neighbor that she was, appeared to have offered to do some house chores or something. That was the only explanation Bella could think of to explain why a sound of a vacuum cleaner could be heard from downstairs.

"Don't be mad at me," Alice interrupted her train of thoughts. "I got in through the back door when the Chief went out to get something from the garage."

"That was risky of you," Leah commented. "There was a bit of a crowd situation going on out on the street earlier. "

"Oh, well there's no one there now," Alice shrugged. "B, you know you're missing a door, right?" she continued, a deep frown on her face.

"Your father did this, didn't he?" Alice guessed correctly, before she went on, "Is he like punishing you? That's kind of hash!"

"That's what I said," Leah agreed conversationally, as if they were discussing something trivial like the weather or something.

"Enough," Bella muttered, finally finding her voice. "Get. Out. Now," she declared in a low, but firm voice that seemed to startle Alice.

"I mean it. I don't want you here!"

"Uhm..." Leah looked uncertain, glancing between Bella and Alice, like she didn't know what to do about the situation.

"Both of you, get out!"

"You heard her, Cullen," Leah finally whispered. "I think we should probably respect her wishes."

"But if Charlie is being unfairly hard on her-…" Alice started protesting, but Leah interrupted her. "Come on, it's Chief Swan we're talking about. He's grumpy and short-tempered, but he wouldn't hurt a fly. From what I understand, he took out the door as a precautionary measure. I think he's worried she's gonna hurt herself."

Alice opened her mouth then closed it. Then opened it again. "I can see where he's coming from. I bet these four walls have seen a lot of hurt," she finally said, gesturing vaguely around Bella's room."You nearly died and I-…"

"Don't say another word," Bella warned. "Don't come near me. Forget this house. Forget my name. Forget me!"

Alice's eyes became narrow slits of…disbelief, or was it anger?

She was shaking her head. "I'll leave, but can't we just talk for a second? There are things that need to be said, and things that need to be heard."

Bella instinctively took a step back, then another one, moving herself to the furthest corner of the room.

That's when Leah decided to step in. "Here's an idea, I'll be happy to listen to you, Alice. And I'll pass along any messages you have. But you've got to come with me. I mean it. We'll get Bella in trouble if Charlie finds you here."

"Yeah, okay, fine…" After what seemed like an internal struggle on Alice's part, she bit her lip and nodded. "I didn't come here to cause trouble, Bella."

"Let's take this conversation into the bathroom. It has a door that locks and everything," Leah suggested, ushering Alicein front of her until they were out of sight.

It took Bella all about 12 seconds to realize she didn't like the idea of Leah and Alice disappearing into that bathroom together.

 _What did those two have to discuss? What did they know about anything?_

It took her another two seconds to decide she would not stand for this. She would have to intervene. And with that, Bella hurried to catch up with the two girls and squeeze herself past them so that she was blocking their way to the bathroom.

"You," she pointed at Leah, "Stay outside and warn me if anyone's coming upstairs."

Leah nodded. "Okay. If you're sure…" The slight smirk on her face told Bella she had been counting on this outcome all along. Dammit!

"And you," Bella said meeting and holding Alice's gaze for first time since the girl had showed up. "…will get 30 seconds to say what you came here to say. Lower your expectations though. I can already tell you, I won't have anything to say in return."

Alice response came instantly, in the form of a relieved and simple, "Thank you."

.

….

.

TBC...


End file.
